Cabin fever
We are back home after three days at the cabin. Three days away from everyday life, three days in quiet nature. Weather was great, and yesterday we were out cross country skiing for hours. I always say that spring and summer are my favorite seasons, but sitting out in the snow yesterday with the sun sparkling ahead of us and the snow sparkling everywhere around us, grilling sausage rolls on the small fire we made, drinking hot chocolate, eating sweet, dripping oranges, helping Marta to brush snow from her toes every fifteen minutes when she had to have a break from playing in the snow because her feet were freezing, chatting with dh and the girls.......this was truly a meeting between heaven and earth, a meeting to live on when the busier everyday life threaten to take over again.
Cabin life is not only outdoor life though. It is also long nights for playing, reading and eating. Our cabin is simple, with no electricity. We can get light from a sun cell panel, but right now it does not work, so all the light in the evenings came from candles and two small oil lamps. But life feels so simple when we gather around the big table to play cards or Trivial Pursuit, or when we gather in the kitchen to make taco, when I and the three girls run out to the outdoor toilet together because the girls are afraid of all the different noises in a dark and cold forest. And reading can still be done in candle light, if you lit enough candles. I have a big, growing book collection at the cabin, so there are books for all moods and ages. Ingrid and her friend found their favorites deep in the back of a cupboard, the "romantics" my grandmother collected in the 60ies. They both dissapeared into a world filled with romance and sweet dreams, but gave half an ear to me and Marta when we read from Marta's book, "Nei vel, da" by the Norwegian Bjørn Ingvaldsen, winner of last years Ark Children's Book Award, about the naughty grandmother, very Roald Dahl-ish.
Cabin life is also when I have time to write long letters to friends around the world, to India and Eritrea, to USA and Holland, to Germany and France. And looking forward to all the great replies I know I will get. Strond friendship bonds can be tied everywhere and always.
Cabin life is not only outdoor life though. It is also long nights for playing, reading and eating. Our cabin is simple, with no electricity. We can get light from a sun cell panel, but right now it does not work, so all the light in the evenings came from candles and two small oil lamps. But life feels so simple when we gather around the big table to play cards or Trivial Pursuit, or when we gather in the kitchen to make taco, when I and the three girls run out to the outdoor toilet together because the girls are afraid of all the different noises in a dark and cold forest. And reading can still be done in candle light, if you lit enough candles. I have a big, growing book collection at the cabin, so there are books for all moods and ages. Ingrid and her friend found their favorites deep in the back of a cupboard, the "romantics" my grandmother collected in the 60ies. They both dissapeared into a world filled with romance and sweet dreams, but gave half an ear to me and Marta when we read from Marta's book, "Nei vel, da" by the Norwegian Bjørn Ingvaldsen, winner of last years Ark Children's Book Award, about the naughty grandmother, very Roald Dahl-ish.
Cabin life is also when I have time to write long letters to friends around the world, to India and Eritrea, to USA and Holland, to Germany and France. And looking forward to all the great replies I know I will get. Strond friendship bonds can be tied everywhere and always.
posted by Britt-Arnhild | 9:51 AM
1 Comments:
The view from your cabin is breathtaking, britt-Arnhild! I have thought of it as a fairytale "getaway" ever since I first saw pictures, but oh, the view across the fjord is glorious.
The girls playing Ludo - another shot full of charm. What a delightful childhood they are being given. Surely they must be storing away the most wonderful memories. Do any of your children keep a journal?
Post a Comment
<< Home