Politics

Sophie when still a kitten

Unless you've been living under a rock the past few days, you will have realised the political landscape in the world is rapidly changing. It is brought a shock to Europe and a lot of people and businesses are afraid of what the future will hold. 

Julius loved flowers. Especially decapitating them

In my personal view, anybody who thinks and talks of women, handicapped, veterans and foreigners the way the soon to be President of the USA does, should not be allowed to become President in the first place. 

Wuppie tried to be fierce!

Anyway, if you are as fed up of politics as I am, either because your candidate won (congratulations) or lost (commiserations), I think we all know that one thing that can make most things better is cats. It is a well-known fact that petting a cat can lower high blood pressure. Dogs apparently can have the same effect, but since I am very much a cat person... (Miss Oswin says thank you for that).

Linette is nice and warm on the radiator

If you do not have a cat (or a dog), you might be able to lower your blood pressure just by looking at cute photos of cats. So, I trawled through my large collection of photos of my six monsters and found some beauties. I may have posted them again, but cute is cute...

Mathilda cooperated for once

Oh, by the way, I will not accept any political motivated comments. The President has been chosen, so no need to tell me why he is good or bad. It's his job to prove himself now. Any comments to that effect will be deleted!

Miss Oswin enjoying the outside

Knits and purls

My collection of DK yarn. Well, most of it anyway

You may have gathered that I do like to knit things and recently I have even started with the crochet needle. Which means that I might finally be able to use some of the yarn I have gathered over the years. 

Like the two large containers of DK (double knit) yarn I got when I lived in England, ooh, a lifetime ago. All colours of the rainbow and then some. To be used for small items like elephants and mice, tooth brushes and ginger bread men. 

Part of the sock wool. Anybody need a pair?

Like all the yarn I have bought since living in Norway. To make socks, mittens, slippers, mice, sweaters. Most of it is wool or a wool-blend and they are fantastic to knit with. 

Then there are the needles. I not only have my own needles, collected over the years, I also have the ones my mother didn't want anymore. Plus the ones she had gotten from somewhere else again. Plus the ones my sister got rid off when she realised knitting wasn't for her. I could have 5 projects on the go at once and still have needles for another one!

But, I have a problem. One that is pretty annoying to me. Because even though they love their knitting and to a lesser degree crocheting here in Norway, finding the yarn I want and/or need is proving to be extremely tricky. Very! Because they do wool here. Llama, alpaca, sheep. Blends with cotton, acrylic, polyester. And yes, I can even find some cotton over here. Either in size 3 or up or 1,5 and down. I needed size 2 (needle size). 

The recently acquired cotton yarn

I went into five different shops. And in the end I struck lucky. The tiniest shop had in fact the biggest choice in crocheting cotton in the size I want. Mind you, that still only meant a couple of small shelves, but it's a start! As for the the other yarn I might need? I guess a trip to the UK will be in order at some point!

Or start a shop of my very own!!

The watersaga

Now, I guess you thought that by moving out of that lovely little red cottage in the Norwegian countryside, I would get rid of all the water problems I had. Like the water that had to be boiled before using. Or the septic tank only holding a small amount of water and other so it had to be emptied a lot. I thought it too!

So, imagine my surprise when a few weeks ago, there was water under the sink in the bathroom. My heart didn't sink. It plummeted! Right through the floor and into the basement. But, a towel or two and the water was gone. 

And then after a shower, a lot of water. Oh no! Well, imagine me washing my hair. My long hair. Long hair that clogs the drains. And clogged drains spit the water back. So, some anti clog stuff later and a new little sieve for the shower drain and hey presto! Everything was fine and dandy.

Until a week or so later. When the water didn't drain away at all. Turned out the pipes had come loose as well! Fortunately my landlord (also known as catsitter) was a bit handier than I was and managed to connect them again. 

Watersaga. It seems to follow me about...

Miss Oswin is telling it like it is!

Miaow

Well, Brom gets to write so often and the last time I got a chance was when I was first allowed to go outside. So, I begged Mara to let me write a post about all that has happened to me since.

During Mara and Brom's holiday I stayed in the apartment. Our landlord looked after me and he was very good. I needed to make sure he understood I was the MBC in the WWU and that as a result, I had to have a lot of attention, but he got that pretty quick. He opened the window for me so I could have a sniff of the outside, he gave me food and water and he was only annoying when he fixed some new lights, because he had to use a hammer. But he also petted me every day.

I am allowed to go outside a lot now. If the weather is nice and it's not too late, I can go outside and if it's not nice I can have a little look upstairs. I am getting used to this place now, even if I am not allowed to sleep in Mara's bedroom anymore. She closes the door at night and then I can't get to the litter box or to my food. Besides, her room is freezing!!

Well, this was it for now. I want to go outside and see what's new!

Photo on Sunday 2016-39

Here's the result after only a few days. One frosted pine cone (need several more), one Christmas stocking, one Christmas cracker and one silvery heart. I am working on the red heart right now. 

Brom gets surgery

Coocoo

It's not even a holiday, but I just had to tell you about this. I had surgery!! Don't worry, it wasn't life threatening, but it was very necessary.

If you look at the photo at the top you can see me in my Lederhosen outfit in Austria. And if you look at the second photo of me in my rain hat, you can see my snout is just a bit the worse for wear. That's what happens to nearly 43-year old well-loved teddies Mara said. 

Now, I think my snout is very important and I like to keep my stuffing inside. No weight loss schemes for me thank you very much. So, Mara and Gera and I went shopping in the Netherlands for a new skin for my snout and if necessary in the future my ears and hands and feet and tail. 

Guess what: I had this surgery without any pain killers. No pills, no injections. I just looked Mara straight in the eyes while she performed surgery. And when I looked in the mirror afterwards: well, I am not the MBC in the WWU, but I am pretty pleased with how I turned out! I am ready for my next adventure!!!

Something old...

You may know I do delve into my family's history quite a bit. Finding stories from long (and not so long) ago, finding photos, letters or other things. I am the only one in our family of three who is really this interested.

According to my mother, my brother is not that into it and my sister is interested, but not to the extent I am. So, when my mother was clearing away a few things, there was quite a distinction between what she got and what I got. My sister got the tapestry making stuff (nope, not for me, I will stick to knitting and crocheting and sewing) and I got the baby comb. There used to be a baby brush as well, but that has been long gone. 

Apart from that though, my mother had another treat for me. Her wedding gloves! She wanted to give me something else as well, but that too had been lost. Or had it, because an hour after the gloves she bolted upstairs and into a room to open a drawer to open a box and there was the piece that kept her veil in place during the wedding. 

I will take it to a framer's today to have both pieces framed. It will take pride of place together with their wedding photo. 

A new project

I made this a long time ago
Parts of it will be made again

I know it is still nearly two months until Christmas is upon us, but some things just can't wait until the week before. Like making a Christmas wreath for my door. You might think that as a big fan of Christmas, I would have had one on my door every single year, but sadly that is not the case. The little red wooden cottage in the Norwegian countryside didn't quite live up to peaceful wreath on the door and staying on the door for however long I celebrate Christmas. 

But, I have decided I want a wreath this year and with my front door being inside, the weather can't stop me. I know exactly what kind of wreath I want as well. With frosted pine cones, holly, ivy, Christmas stockings, you name anything Christmassy, I most likely want it. And I will be making it all myself. Knitting and crocheting. Just because I have so much yarn in all colours and sizes and I really need to get rid of some. So, today I bought some more yarn. As you do...

A Christmas stocking

The new project is on the way and will hopefully be done sometime before Christmas 2016. I will keep you updated.

A big pot!!

When my sister and I were on our road trip, I had taken some wool with me to knit a mouse for my mother. It turned out, I had only brought half of what I needed so no mouse. One thing I had brought was a crocheting needle and the crocheting cotton I had gotten for my birthday. What to do with it though? Well, I decided on a potholder and with my sister as a teacher it went very smooth.

In fact it went so well that when we were in Vienna, I actually bought some more cotton to make more potholders! And my sister decided that the pattern she had found for me was quite good and she got some cotton and a needle to make her own.

On my return to Norway I went to a shop where I knew they had a lot of wool and such and lo and behold: the same type of cotton I had used already. So, I got one in each colour. What to do with it though when I got home? More potholders? I mean, how many potholders does anyone actually need? 

In the end? I made lots of very small potholders, sewed them together and then crocheted all around it. Next thing I have to do is get some cotton fabric, sew it into the same size as the grandmother of all potholders and stuff it. It will be a pillow!!

I need more cotton yarn now!!

Absolutely awful!

My blogging lately that is. I basically haven't been blogging at all and I am actually starting to miss it now. Only one thing for it: blog!!

And to start November off with a bang: a give-away. My annual desk-top-calendar give-away. Because Brom has been so good with our holiday blogging as well, he was allowed once more to make a calendar and he is also giving some away.

So, what to do? Well, not much really. Just leave a comment on this post and you're already in with a chance. Do you want mine or do you want Brom's? Or is it okay either way? Let me know! One person doesn't have to leave a comment and that is Janice Adcock. She was the clever clogs who guessed closest to my actual time in the triathlon and has already won a calendar. But all you other people out there: go for it! 

There will be two of each for gives (?) and the final winners will be announced on December 6th (Brom's birthday). Which means you have until midnight December 5th my time to make sure I put your name in the bag for a chance to win. Good luck!