From the Land of the Midnight Sun

So here I sit in the late afternoon sun (which will STILL be late afternoon sun at 11:oo p.m. tonight), typing on a computer that has at least two extra letters that clutter up the keyboard, and knitting socks just like an old Norwegian lady! And I feel strangely at peace and at home (except for the obvious fact that my other half is in America).

I've never been one of those people who gets depressed in the rain, and I'm more and more becoming someone who hates the heat, so the fact that it rains here almost every day isn't a problem for my psyche. I guess that's easy to say when I only have to deal with it for a few weeks at a time. Who knows? An entire year here might drive me stark raving mad. I'll tell you what DOES drive me stark raving mad....it's not being able to understand what people are saying as I pass by them in stores, or when they have conversations when I'm in the same room and I feel invisible or stupid (or both) because I don't have a clue what they're talking about. I fear even my grandkids think I'm a little bit stupid because I don't understand both languages like they do. Even Amanda, who just turned 4, says, "But Grandma, how come you don't know what they said? I know what they said. Emma knows what they said. Daniel knows what they said. Daddy know......" Yeh, Yeh, Yeh, Amanda, I get it!

So I figure I need to set myself a goal. Am I too old for this, or can I learn a new language at this late stage of my life? For the first couple of days that I was here, Amanda would only speak to me in Norwegian. Apparently, Mom is the only adult she speaks English to. It's fine when they come to the States because they can all switch to English on command, but I do plan to come here to visit, and I can see it's becoming more and more difficult. And it's not one of those languages like Italian or Spanish or German where you can buy tapes and teach-yourself books at any Costco or Barnes & Noble. So....I'm seriously on the prowl for someone who knows Wegie talk. Any old viking will do.

I'd attach some pictures, but you know how it is when you switch to somebody else's computer and you don't know their system and such. As it is, I'm having a hard enough time not putting one of these "æ" or "å" or "ø" in the middle of my words because they're located right where I'm used to finding other letters.

So anyway, you'll just have to believe me when I say it's lush and green and beautiful in Norway. Every square foot is some shade of green, and every hillside has water running down it somewhere. Almost every bend in the road offers a lake, large or small, and flowers bloom until midnight. Women over a certain age always have short hair, and no one wears shoes in the house. Food is spicy, but salt and pepper donæt (see???) usually show up on the table. Fruits and vegetables are plentiful, and fish is served as a main dish, a casserole, a soup, or a pudding. You never drive if you're going to have even one glass of wine, and dinner at a restaurant requires a no-limit credit card. Virtually everything is recycled, and you go to the market every day except Sunday (because they're ALL closed on Sunday). The roads are narrow, and roundabouts are plentiful, but you better know what you're doing or people will honk you off the road. It doesn't cost anything to see the Doctor, but they all go on vacation at the same time, so you'd best not get sick in July. Moms love their kids, and kids love their grandmas. That's the best part......at least for me.

Emma thinks I'm always cool; Daniel thinks I'm okay unless I want to hug and kiss him; and Amanda tolerates me most of the time except when she's honery and says, "I don't like you much, Grandma!" But I know she doesn't mean it, she loves me through and through......or else!