Zooming out - zooming in

Walking by the one fairly tidy corner in our living room. 

In our house, come to think of it. 

So it had to be documented. 

That the rest of the house is not looking too good  just can't be helped. 

Now it's outdoor work on my schedule. 

Working weather forecast

For the rest of this week the weather forecast predicts SUMMER. And for me that means WORK! I have a long list of to do's that requires good weather. First of all to finish painting our house. There's not much left, just some second coats: half a wall here and some window trims there. And a flower box. 

So really nothing much.

First of all I wanted to tackle the wall above the garage that's missing the last coat. 

But it's been a while since last I climbed a ladder, or walked on a roof. 

It took me some time before I got to the top of the ladder or on to the garage roof. 

My daughter wanted to try, she ran to the the top of the roof without hesitation. 

I still wasn't sure. 

Not until my neighbour said I ought to ask a man to do it and then voluntaired her husband to come help me,
did I pull myself together and get to the top of the roof :)

(Too bad there wasn't anyone to take my picture)

But still a bit rusty and nervous, I didn't manage to get on to the roof with the paint and brush in hand. 

I'll try again tomorrow!

(If my legs have stopped shaking by then)

My next job was a lot less nerve wrecking; planting a couple of million bells. 

And a lot faster. 

And instant improvement!

Before - last year's long since dead hanging flowers

Now - Million bells freshly planted

Mini petunias in the palest lilac

Health in a tall glass

We've had an abundance of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries lately. The raspberries are finished, and the other berries startetd to get a bit old. So my daughter requested we make smoothie of the berries we had left. 

This is what I used for the contents in the glasses:  

A couple of table spoons of yoghurt naturel

A couple of ice cubes - crushed

About 6 big strawberries

About 20 blueberries

A bit of a banana

This was the first smoothie I made, but it won't be the last!

Delicious!

17 May celebration, 2012

Early, busy,  expectations, wait, wet, cold, walk, stand, que, crowdy, happy kids, patient parents,
more busy, more walk, more wet, more cold, tired kids, tired grown ups. 

These are my words for this year's 17 May celebration.

When I asked my 7 year old daughter what she thought, she said:

"Best day ever"

!

Between the parades we went home to dry and warm up, and have something to eat. 

Our meal was sour cream porridge with buttereye, sugar and cinnamon, 

and on the side flatbread with cured meat, 

a 17 May tradition we've brought with us from our time in Bergen. 

Simple and tasty:)

Tasty red, white and blue

This week we have been testing desserts to make for 17 May - National Day of Norway.

Our favourite is fruit salad of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry, topped with vanilla sauce. Food in the colours of the flag - red, white and blue. Plain, simple and 

deliciously tasty. 

Some prefer more white than others:)

To keep or not to keep

So I lost my focus there for a while. In the middle of  painting the kitchen. Felt like I was never able to get anything ticked off of that To do - list, so I just
stopped trying.
Clutter and mess seem never ending. And with that there wasn't much fun in blogging. Well, after almost two weeks I've realized that I'd rather keep trying and move slow, than not move at all
:)
So
I'm picking up where I left off
painting the kitchen walls and trying to decide whether or not to keep the bottom two shelves on this kitchen wall, or find other shelving arrangements for the kitchen nicknacks that hasn't got a cupboard door to hide behind.

Sweet May

May presented itself in the best possible way; warm and sunny:)

We started this day off with a water war in the garden, we've baked and had our first trip to the beach and my water loving daughter had her first dip in.
And,
although the water felt freezing to the rest of us,
she claimed it was
"nice and warm". 

In the evening we had sandwiches and tea. 

Got out these plates from Rörstrand, Sweden, decor Gille.
For some reason they have to go with dark bread and a cup of tea by the side -
so that's what we had:)