RSS

Home / Blogs / Droopy's Blog /

Childhood memories

Category: Ramblings | Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:53 pm

---

I remember when I was a child, in the early 70's, when all winters had lots of snow, and all summers were endless and warm. There were few cars about and the streets were our playground, as well as the forest, beach and everybody's gardens.

During the summer we practically lived on the beach. We brought food and drink down, our parents sat around talking and a few of them even went swimming and playing in the water with us. We were taught to swim in that little bay, and when we'd finally learned to keep our heads above water, we wanted to learn how to dive. There were lots of funny sea animals to catch if we were quick enough, and one of the grown-ups always knew a name for it, and maybe a story about it too.

In winter we went tobogganing down the steepest road. There were only two cars in the neighbourhood that had to use that road, so we were fairly safe playing there. Everybody else drove the longer way around. My best friend's father was the coolest because he always shoveled the snow from the drive into a huge, big pile in a corner. There we would excavate a big snow cave to play in for as long as the snow lasted. As far as I can remember, it lasted for months, but probably didn't.

One winter we visited my grandparents further inland. There was so much snow on the ground we could make tunnels without anybody shoveling the snow into heaps first. Luxury! It was also so cold for a couple of days that the engine oil began to freeze, which probably was a serious thing. I can't remember how my father solved that, but we didn't get to stay for an extra couple of days. I still feel a twinge of regret for that lovely tunnel work we had to leave behind.

Spring was used in the forests surrounding our homes. We climbed trees, picked flowers, played cowboy and indians and everything else one can play with big woody areas available and not a chain saw in sight. We waded the boggy areas and got scolded for dirty feet and wet wellies, but the lessons never stuck. We knew where to find lily-of-the-valley, and with a small bouquet of that everything would be forgiven.

In autumn we went berry picking, mostly to eat there and then, but we occasionally managed to bring enough back for making jam too. We especially liked berry picking in the rain, for some strange reason. Both the berries and us children were soaked at the end of the day, but it seemed nobody bothered much after the unavoidable scolding and repeated whining about us getting ill. We undressed and sat in the tub for hours on end while reading Donald Duck, thawing out and using all the hot water.

Life was probably not as uncomplicated as I remember, and the weather was probably a lot more changeable, but this is how I remember it, and this is what I'm trying to give my own girls. I can't do much about lack of snow or too cold summers, but I can still drag them with me outside to pick lily-of-the-valley in the rain come spring.

This blog entry has been viewed 92 times

---

Why are new things so frightening?

Category: Ramblings | Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:06 pm

---

When my last mobile phone started throwing tantrums, I rejoiced. Finally I could order that fancy, little thing with a big screen and heat sensitive buttons! But when the thing arrived it looked scary. New, shiny, totally different from my old one and very fancy. Not my style at all, really. So it sat on the shelf for a couple of months (5!) before I started using it. Not from choice, but from need. The old one finally went bananas and blew something.

The new toy took some getting used to, but I thought that as the weeks passed, we'd be fast friends and function well together. After three months I started the count-down for when I could replace it with something tougher, a dust resistant, splash resistant mobile that could survive falling out of my pocket and onto the concrete. And proper buttons with lights, please! Since I'm outside at all hours and the daylight fails fairly early during winter, a lighted display is a must. As for the heat sensitive panel – well, blah! It works beautifully in cozy cafés, but try punching one with a gloved finger. Totally useless, at least to me.

I started searching for a new companion, and discovered that my former favorite manufacturer had stopped producing mobile phones. Oh, the agony I felt! I would have to change make and didn't know which to choose. So I decided to ask my eldest, and she asked some friends on a forum, and came back to me with a few links (23 I think). So I spent a few days sorting through the links. Some were quickly deleted (too expensive, wrong operator, what - rhinestones?), and others saved pending time to really check them.

After careful concideration I discovered that the most likely candidate went for free if I continued my relationship with my operator, so that seemed like a very good deal to me. When the binding time expired, I quickly renewed and opted for my sturdy, water-and-dust-resistant choice. When it arrived, the unopened package sat in the hall for a few days (about a month) before I opened it up to investigate. Yep, it looked good and simple to use, but it was very different from my present one, and a bit scary to start using right away, so I carefully put it back into the box and put the box on the coffee table, just to get used to the idea of switching phones.

I have dusted the box for two months, and finally gotten round to charging the battery. I've carried my new mobile about a bit, but it's so... well, bulky, and a bit heavy too. So I'm still using the fancy thing which I'm not happy with, and trying to muster the courage to let it go. I really don't like it at all, you see. But will I like the new one better? Will somebody please give me a kick and tell me to stop being so stupid?

This blog entry has been viewed 119 times

---

Making the best of it

Category: Ramblings | Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:52 pm

---

We've had some rather bad weather for a couple of days. The full storm came with hurricane gusts warnings and high water levels to top it off. In addition to that, we were told to expect thunder and lightning as well as lots of rain or sleet. That amounts to lots of weather, even for us here on the north-west coast.

I must admit I was a bit worried. I never bothered about strong winds until the New Year's Day Hurricane in -91. The town center looked like a war zone, with broken windows and building parts everywhere. Some cars had been thrown together in a heap, and a fishing vessel had been put in the middle of the main road into town. I think seeing that ship there finally made me understand what power a hurricane had. So I've been frightened of high winds ever since.

Anyway, with the extreme weather warning I found it best to be prepared. So I checked our stock of cocoa, candles and chocolate, to make sure we had the essentials. Then I went and got me two crime novels, both of Monty Roberts' books, a book about table decorating, a bit of yarn and a set with all we need to needle-felt eight sheep. We filled the wood bin downstairs and put torches ready in each of the girls' rooms, our bedroom and the bathroom. We also gathered the blankets on the couch for easy access.

Well, the storm and flood tide came and went, and nothing much came of it except a couple of very wet basements and some torn-down gutter pipes. Thankfully we were too busy to tidy away the torches and stuff, because we needed them today. We were not warned about it, but had a nice thunder and lightning show complete with power cuts. Three short ones, to be exact. Very unusual.

I'm thinking it might be too early to put everything back where it should be. I'll just pile the blankets around me, and enjoy some cocoa, chocolate and an exciting novel this evening. Well, we don't want to waste it, now, do we?

This blog entry has been viewed 89 times

---

A visit to the aquarium

Category: Pets and other animals | Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:30 pm

---

We're so lucky we have a big aquarium close by, it only takes about 30 minutes to drive. We are year-card holders, so we visit when we want without additional payment. I do not normally bring the camera, but today I did, for some reason. The batteries didn't last long, but at least I got to photograph the penguins, which arrived just before Christmas:





Here are from some of the tanks:











They've got a huge tank where divers feed the fish. All the children are clustered near the glass to watch, and it's so fun seeing all the different fish eating from the divers's hand.

Also, they have a department for babies, and it's fun to watch shark eggs and newly hatched sharks. The contact pool is very popular too, but the crabs were so full of food that they just didn't want to play today. The girls ended up petting the starfish instead.

As for me, I always leave with a craving for fish soup, crab, lobster, anything sea food related. Shame on me! *lol*

This blog entry has been viewed 78 times

---

Mum's the word

Category: Garden | Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:14 pm

---

It's my mother's fault! All the chasing about after special plants, buying more than I had planned, ordering plants by the dozens from the spring catalogues, and counting my money afterwards, with a slight tinge of desperation: Where do I put it all?

When mother moved from the wind-swept island to her present home, she thought she had entered paradise. She planted roses - five and five together, in soft gradations from white through to deep red, lovingly composed to their advantage. After a few years she gave in and admitted rose defeat. She discovered the rhododendron, then the primroses, meconopsis, lilies, heathers, hostas, paeonis and lots more. She's made a veritable oasis of her clay-soiled, flat property and I have trouble pronouncing the names of some of her stuff. She, on the other hand, knows where every plant is, their common name, latin name, natural habitat and special requirements. I call her my Gardening Encyclopedia, and must, unwillingly of course, admit that I would be far less successful without her.

She's also got an eye for composition that I didn't inherit, but I'm trying to learn. I'd like to share her garden with you, and hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do:

Wide view to the west:



The big border:



Her clematis grows to the top of a tall birch:



Azaleas, iris and rhododendron:



The azalea and smilacina racemosa smell heavenly:



What I call the Swedish border:



A sweet miniature arrangement for late spring joy:



The only cat tolerated in her garden these days:



Rhododendron yakushimanum and bumble bee:



One of her rare, little gems, Campylogonum var charopoeum,



I mentioned paeonies:





There is more. Much more! But I hope you get an impression on what her garden is like. I've got something to live up to, haven't I?

This blog entry has been viewed 121 times

---

More Primula

Category: Garden | Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:25 am

---

I went out and bought primroses for inside yesterday. They have a wonderful fragrance and cheery colours, and they remind me of spring. I've posted some of my spring flowering Primula before, but I've also got some that flower later in spring, in summer and early autumn.

The Primula must be made for our climate. They love the wet, fairly cold weather and the humus-rich soil. They sulk if given the wrong conditions. On a hot afternoon, they are a sorry sight, leaves lying flat on the ground and flower heads drooping. I divide them every three-four years and keep them where I can see and smell them.

This is one of the early ones. It started as an indoor plant:



This is a tiny thing called "Johanne". I've nearly lost it several times, but have so far managed to save one rosette or two:



These Primula japonica grow in my mother's garden, and bloom in June:



Also June-flowering, rather tall ones:



Primula sieboldii has hairy leaves and a good variety of colour. White, whitish pink, pink, pale blue and lavender:



The Primula vialii looks a bit strange with the red buds and lavender flowers. It starts flowering in June and keeps at it for a month or so. It likes me, and has self-seeded:





This is a white Primula alpicola which flowers in June/July:



The Primula florinda is the latest and longest bloomer of them all. It starts in June/July, and keeps at it through August and some years to September. It's fairly tall, about 50 cm, and loves moisture. I've got yellow, orange and red.







This blog entry has been viewed 154 times

---

The confessions of a rescue mission guerilla

Category: Garden | Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:28 pm

---

I am a thief. You might scold me if you like, but let me explain myself first, and point out that I've never stolen anything before or since.

Once upon a time there was a lovely, park-like garden with plenty of very special trees, bushes, bulbs and plants. When the people who owned it grew old, they willed the whole thing to the community, care of our politicians.

The clause was that the house, out buildings and park were properly maintained and open to the public. Hah!

The area has always been popular for barbeques, walks and play, but as to maintenance... well...

Some years ago I enjoyed an afternoon walk around the property, and spotted some very nice marthagon lilies, astrantiums, aquilegias and wolf's bane growing where the flower beds once were. I went back a couple of weeks later to find that everything had been mowed along with the grass.

The following evening I brought my car, a shovel, my sister-in-law and the dog down. My sister-in-law walked about with the dog, and I set to work trying to save at least something of what had been lost. I managed to find a small astrantium root, a small blue-and-white wolf's bane and a couple of marthagon lily bulbs. Unfortunately, some of the bulbs fell apart when I lifted them, but I carefully collected all the little shells and took them home with me.

My sister-in-law got the whole bulbs and some astrantium. I planted the wolf's bane and astrantium where they hopefully might grow and prosper, and put all the little lily shells in good dirt and waited.

After four or five years, the lilies were big enough to give blooms. The astrantium has been split several times, and is now quite wide-spread. The wolf's bane stands about two meters off the ground (six foot six) and is impressive!

Here are my nicked treasures, photographed last summer:





I've been visiting the site of my crime several times since, and the flowers are still cut with the grass. Am I condemned?

This blog entry has been viewed 128 times

---

The activity of the season

Category: Ramblings | Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:28 am

---

Christmas time is a busy time, no matter how careful one tries to be. I do not like stress, or running about to get things ready at the last minute. We're trying to get all the presents done before December, and spend the weeks before Christmas wrapping, writing cards, tidying, decorating, baking and avoiding shops as much as we can.

With nine people on Christmas Eve and the same for Christmas Day, there is bound to be a flurry of activity the days before. The joy of family gathering and eating too much makes it worth it though. Everything went well, the presents were great, but we're left with far too much food. Again.

The days after Christmas but before New Year are called romjul, friends and family use the days off to visit, the cookies are nearly gone (well done!) and my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton. I've ran out of things to talk about, my brain is in a hibernation mode and I just feel like hiding in my bed for a couple of days to recharge.

Well, who cares! It's Christmas once a year, and I'm going to enjoy it fully no matter what! So there.

So here I am, with sand in my eyes, trying to locate the hoover and the mop, looking forward to today's visits, munching a cookie and desperately reading up on the news to be able to make intelligent conversation. I know I'm not the only one, and that is a very comforting thought.

Last edited: Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:28 am

This blog entry has been viewed 101 times

---

Why they were told

Category: Ramblings | Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:37 pm

---

Contrary to H. C. Andersen's fairy tales, the Norwegian folk tales had another purpose than amusing children. They were told to explain the inexplicable, to warn the older youngsters, and to teach the nearly-grown-ups how to behave as grown-ups.

In the days before exact science people still asked themselves why healthy children suddenly died in their beds. They could see that a child had Down's but didn't know what to call it. Young aldults suddenly started behaving very weird, and nobody saw a reason for it. Since huldra used to switch children with humans, the mysterious deaths were probably explained. A changeling, of course. If a young woman suddenly became a schizophrenic, she had been bewitched by nøkken. Young men with mental problems had met the lovely huldra. If herders disappeared without a trace, the trolls had taken them into the mountains.

This probably meant comfort to their families. There was a reason for the happenings.

To experience all the excitements and dangers in the folk tales, the main character had to leave home and go far and further than far. There were no evil dangers lurking around peoples' homes. It was the one place that would remain safe and unchanged all through the improbable adventures, and everybody would be there to welcome the returning hero after the last troll's head hit the dust.

It's easy to find the wisdom and morale in many of the old stories. Don't scorn a stranger because he doesn't look quite like you. Be polite, curious and honest in your doings and you will be rewarded. Stay true to your friends and your family, and your future will be good. Lend a stranger in need a helping hand, and help will find you when you need it. Use your wits, don't just sit there.

I used to love the folk stories when I was little, and now I'm reading them for my children. But I find I'm not as brave as my mother. I skip the stories where people are beheaded and then salved with a special salve to make the head and body grow back onto each other... I stick with the ones where the trolls always get their punishment in the end.

This blog entry has been viewed 106 times

---

Fairy tale characters

Category: Ramblings | Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:09 pm

---

When Raoul and Christine meet again after many years in «The Phantom of the Opera» they recall reading to each other dark tales of the north. The Norwegian stories have figures like trolls, huldra, nøkken and other, more mysterious shapes.

None of these are nice. None have a light spirit. All they want, is to make life miserable for man.

The trolls are big, fairly stupid, often have many heads, and one eye between them, and have a stash of gold and valuables somewhere. They are known to capture lovely maids and lock them up inside strong castles, in mountains or underground.

Huldra is a beautiful female, known to bewitch young men hunting or herding. She's a vision to look at and has a lovely voice, but her behind is hollowed in, and she's got a tail. Many youths lost their wits after encountering her, and many plainly disappeared, to stay with her underground, miserably, for ever. Huldra and her kind also used to sneak in to people's houses and swap their babies with one of their own.

Nøkken lives in water. He likes to lure people to him and drown them, or bewitch them and steal their souls. He is known to play beautiful music on a fiddle, often by a waterfall, and specializes in stealing young maids. The sea version is both darker and more dangerous.

Another important character is Tuftekallen, connected of the first person to clear the farm and build a home there. If he is treated right, he might help the people living on the farm, but if they forget to pay homage to him, woe and behold! The cattle will fall ill, the seed will go bad and other small or large unfortunate accidents will happen. There are many legends about him, but he's not normally part of the Norwegian fairy tales.

My ancestors believed in these characters. They always wore a knife, to throw over any underground dweller's head in case they met one. Silver crucifixes were hung on cradles and worn always, to ward off huldra or nøkken. The trolls, well, there were many stories that told how to fool them, but the main goal would be to find out where they lived to steal their treasure.

If you're very good, I might tell you a proper troll fairy tale tomorrow.

This blog entry has been viewed 974 times

---

Goto page previous, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, next

Home / Blogs / Droopy's Blog /

Home | About | Usage Rules | FAQ | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy Statistics | Member List | Member Map

© 2004-2008 GardenStew.com Contact: email us