What I have learned today...

(I'd love to illustrate this with updated pictures, but unfortuneately and by accident I broke my mother's camera beyond repair (sorry, mum) and this is not the appointed time to buy a new one.)

* When you joke about a passing cat to be a tiger, you might suddenly realise it was really a lynx.

* When you get very excited (from like seing a live lynx ten meters away from your breakfast table), people (here I refer to my one and only beloved brother) grow tired of it and start teasing you (like referring to a small black lynx called "kitty").

* Dishes should be done before people see them, at least before they've finished dinner. If you haven't done the dishes, people won't get that you love them. No matter what you say or do.

* The word "defile" means spot, stain or pollute and is in use in Markus 7:20-23 (in KJV and NKJV that is)

* My mother likes to teach me things (and is the only one who jumps up from a comfortable chair and a good book to find an English grammar to tell me how I use "whom" in English)

* This is a funny video

*Sewing a broom skirt may very well take three days or more (especially when you just pull yourself together enough to sew one part a day and you have four of them)

* A letter doesn't write itself.

*Even if you do something fun (like tidying/unpacking/organizing your room) you will eventually get tired after a few hours of work

*Chocolate-chip-cookie-sandwiches-with-ice-cream-in-the-middle DOES taste heavenly when you're up in the middle of the night having fun and writing a blog post.

*Base your decitions on facts and not feelings

*God is so beautiful

*God is good

*Abide with me is a hymn with much meaning.

*There is a time for everything, and THIS is the time for going to bed

(and get up early in the morning to make your precious mommy pancakes for breakfast)

Sleep tight people,

much love,

åslaug abi

In Honor of ******, ******* and *******

-Because I love those girls so much =)

I didn't have a diaper pin (since none in my household wears diapers), but we do wear clothes, so I used a clothes pin instead.... =)

This morning the landscape was still covered in snow (this is the view from the kitchen window).

Flowers on the table. When you have no flowers in the backyard, you'll simply have to do with potted ones... They're still beautiful, though (even if they in real life are purple, not blue)






A clean kitchen =) such a pretty sight, isn't it?

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And after cleaning the kitchen, it's time to be ambitious about everything that should be done today (should probably have been done yesterday as well, but was never completed).
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It's time to be brave and jump right into sewing a blouse from a pattern (when you've hardly used a pattern before, and never by yourself). And after falling asleep on the couch (accidentially), ending up sewing both sleeve pieces together to one big sleeve (in stead of two normal sized ones) and having a good laugh (and lots of stiches to take out in the evening), it's time to make dinner (guess who...).
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Well, you take a leek...

And start sharing the recipe for

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OVEN BAKED TOMATO FISH

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300-400 g fish filet (cod, coalfish etc.)
1/4 teaspoon (american teaspoon) salt


1/4 teaspoon (still american) pepper


2 tomatoes (I didn't know this, I always use 3-5), sliced anyway


1/2 leek (it's sort of obvious that you'll have to cut this one, isn't it?)


1/2 teaspoon basil


some grated cheese


15 ml whipping cream (I use milk)
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Well, you actually start with the fish (not the leek). Cut it in pieces the size you'd like to get on your plate, put in greased pan and sprinkle salt and pepper over it (I never ever measure salt or pepper or basil, just so you know...). It should now look about like this:

Slice tomatoes, as many as you want...Put on top of the fish and sprinkle with basil

Cut leek and make a second layer of vegetables upon that poor fish (it doesn't mind, it's dead). See how small my family is? I can hardly fill half the pan (and that's a small pan). Little pretend to be-housewife-and-homemaker-and-other-things-she's-not putting this lovely fish-dish in the oven, and realising that the family is perfect in size (she truly couldn't manage another one!) But she does love her family, not despite, but even because of the small size and quiet ways. God has blessed her with something He knew would be perfect for her, only for her. Who is she to complain?

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Fish dish (not family) is baked in a 200 celcius and 392 fahrenheit oven, for about 35 minutes



Meanwhile, use that beautiful, super-convenient apron sewn you by beautiful, super-convenient, dearly beloved and so missed friends far far away to carry some potatoes out to in the kitchen. Cut them, put them in a frying pan on the oven, put a lump of butter in the pan, sprinkle onion powder, salt and pepper over them, stir once, cover and leave (now, do remember to turn the heat on).
Get back in a few minutes later and stir again. Repeat this till potatoes are cooked (soft in the middle).
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Set the table and give thanks to a lovingkind God who provide you with food, love, family, snow, laughter, friends (though far away) joy, peace and happiness, every single day =)
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He is the Saviour.


The Messiah, the Lord.


Praise Him!
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åslaug

Sweet February Morning

I woke up this morning from my alarm clock,
after turning it off about six times, in between dreaming of being around beloved people in far-away-places, I opened my eyes.

Six o'clock.

The view outside was simply beautiful. Snow fell yesterday, and in the dark of morning and glimps of lights from the shopping centre the hills were shining. Such a pretty gift to receive when you just woke up =)

What you see if you look out the sitting room window

I put on my apron (yes, of course I got dressed first)
sneaked upstairs and made a batch of muffins. I cut oranges, pears and apples, I made coffee, my father made bread (in the bread-baker, so it was just to pop it out). In other words, I made breakfast. I lit the candle and listened to "Fairest Lord Jesus" while working away by myself.

I did the dishes. By hand.

Tasting the first muffin, yes, it was quite nice, never mind my expression =)

Breakfast....

The kitchen this morning, my mother is hiding (or reading)

After walking my mother to work, I stood for what felt like an eternity in the snow enjoying the sight of beautiful snow covered hills, drizzeled with morning rays giving them a slightly blushing pink color.

I thanked God, for the beauty, for all my beloved ones, praying for them and for me, singing to Him, smiling, silently conversing with Him. Knowing that I don't have the answers, thanking Him that He has.

I walked home, trying to be frugal by not buying colored paper for a birthday card-to-be, and again when the yarn store (I was planning to knit a few dish cloths) was closed till ten o'clock.

Now, I've been alone in my house a few hours.

I am the only person here, the only living thing (except for plants, which there are plenty of).

I might be the most noisy person of my house

(which says more of the rest of the household than of me),

but in myself, I've discovered I make very little noise at all. So it's quiet.

Me and my father's Yucca palm

Who's doing the dishes?? Mmm, excactly...

But she's doing a good job =)

Dishes go quickly. But I do them alone.

Talking is non-excistent. Who should I talk to?

I read aloud, I pray out loud, I play music. I sing.

Loneliness is lonely. I miss beloved noisy people, in beautiful noisy far-away places.

But I would rather miss them for the rest of my life, than never meeting them... And I will see them again.... soon.

God is so good, so loving, such an expert at removing the all-consuming feeling of loneliness. Such a perfect friend. So good at removing worries, anxiousness, troubles and hurt from my heart and instead fill it up (to overflowing) with peace. Perfect peace.

He is so precious. I love Him so much.

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He is where you are, as you read this,

watching over you,

kissing the top of your head.

Whispering I love you,

and I thank Him for that.

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lovingly,

åslaug