A Day in Norway

To all of you dear people,

Beautiful countryside, mountains, green trees, blue skies and puffy clouds. They tell us we are enjoying unusually beautiful weather-- not at all like Norway this time of the year. It would often be chilly with rain and fog so a person can't see the mountains.  We brought warm coats and rain jackets and we haven't used them much.

Traveling by ferry on the fjords, three times today. They are an extension of the road.

Flowers blooming everywhere. Lilacs (purple and lilac colored), lupines, rowan trees, azaleas, peonies? Wisteria, Apple blossoms, decorative crab apple trees....

It reminds me of a Thomas Kinkade painting where all the flowers are blooming at the same time - kind of unrealistic. In Norway this year anything seems possible. Warm weather that is breaking records - all the flowers ready at the same time.

We traveled to the valley where Lisbeth grew up, saw her home and her brother's home, school and church. We drove to the sœter where they took the cows in the summer for pasture land. They milked the cows and  made butter, sour cream and also sold milk.

We couldn't go to Trollstiegen because it is closed. So a different route was planned for the day. Very enjoyable!

Olaf and Lisbeth were trying to meet Ben David but his schedule wasn't working out so he suggested maybe we'd like to see his wife and children.  They were at the sea side - bobbing. Here is where my hearing failed me. I thought Olaf said *bobbing* and really he said *bäthing.*

We met Ben David's wife and two small children,  a little boy about 3 1/2 and a baby girl who is a  couple months older than Gracia. It was nice to meet them and see Olaf and Lisbeth with their grandchildren. 

It seems sad to fall asleep as we zip along in the beautiful scenery, but that is exactly what I did. We are so grateful for all the driving Olaf is doing and the meals Lisbeth keeps on producing. Olaf remembers that twenty-two years ago Trenda said something like, "every time we turn around we are eating again." 

I remember having a voracious appetite when we lived in British Columbia. It must be the mountain air and here we have the sea close by. *Ocean front property* It seems we have barely eaten a meal when out come apples and pistachios to crunch on. Like the house keeper in the book, Jane of Lantern Hill, who had donuts or cookies on hand to "stay Jane's stomach," Lisbeth always has something good to eat to keep us away from the brink of starvation. 

Now we are driving through mountains that are spewing waterfalls over the edges and we peer out the windows - first on this side then out the other.

And now we have arrived at the motel. The hotel manager hurries off to put cake and coffee out  to "stay our stomachs" before bedtime.

This ends the account for May 23, 2024.

Doors

What color should my door be?

Some of the doors Deanne and I paused to photograph on the walk home from the Quaker meeting Sunday noon.

Oh, the Quaker meeting you ask?

We entered a walled courtyard where succulents clung to the stone and columbine

grew with clover at the base of that wall.

 

A woman met us at the door and welcomed us inside a hallway. A bit musty, as though windows should be opened and a brisk south wind blown through to air it out. She asked if we are familiar with Quakers and we had to admit - only through story books. I mentioned Christy by Catherine Marshall. Other books with Quaker characters in them came to mind... The Witch of Blackbird Pond, King of the Wind, a story in one of the Pathway readers, The Bishop's Chairs ? Is that the name of the story?

We were given some pamphlets to read and the order of the service was explained. If sitting still for one hour is too long we can feel free to get up and move around. We mentioned that our church service is two hours long so we are used to sitting for an extended length of time.

(By this time another woman joined us and mentioned that this is a very small group and most of them are away this weekend.) 

Then came the question of what our affiliation is and they nodded when we said Mennonite - they are familiar with Anabaptists.

The room we entered had a high high ceiling.  A large fly buzzed at the window near the ceiling, trying to get out. Old benches lined the walls and cushioned chairs were arranged in a large circle around a low table. A vase of flowers, a pitcher of water with several glasses, a Bible and a guest book were arranged on the table. Helen and Heather said we are welcome to sit anywhere but they have found the benches to be hard so they choose the cushioned chairs.

When we sat down the silence began. We could speak if the Spirit urged us to say something. Or we could pray, read scripture and meditate, silently. A clock quietly tick tocked. I remembered to turn the sound off on my phone. 

It was a very peaceful time of worship, praising and thanking God through prayer. After twenty minutes Heather spoke of gratitude.  Twenty minutes later - more or less - and Helen spoke about the love of God.

In my prayers and supplication for Angie and Nova I found myself crying and again releasing them to God and asking for His will to be done in their lives.

At the end of an hour Helen shook hands with Heather and then with each of us. Then she went to make tea and coffee and we visited together and got acquainted. 

On our way out the door they showed us the garden and a grassy area that was the graveyard. In the old days Quakers couldn't be buried in the cemetery so they were just buried out behind the buildings in a  homemade plot. This makes me very sad. The same sad/mad feeling I felt when I was told infants who died before they were  baptized weren't allowed to be buried in a cemetery. 

Sit for an hour in silence with some Quaker friends if you get the chance.