To give is to keep – a daily post on prized possessions

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Things tend to fall apart...

Things tend to fall apart…

Before going on my bike ride this morning, I read the daily prompt, what was you most prizes possession as a kid and what became of it? The question kept mulling in my head, even if I had written a post already today…I think I could be called a transient hoarder. That is ,I have always liked to have a lot of something, but I also like to give it away. Like in having enough plates and cutlery for  a big party on the ready in my pantry, and lending it to everybody. Or baking an enormous amount of cookies and let the boys and their friends have it all. Or giving away most of my books when I have read them. One time I gave away all my summer clothes in fall and forgot all about it, when next summer came around I got to clear out and sort through every closet in our house looking for them, added bonus! It has nothing to do with generosity. It has all to do with having moved a lot and knowing that it is what you use your things for that it is important. Plates are for serving friends and family, not for storing.I love it if someone needs something I am able to give.

I own the the beauty if not the plates!

I own the the beauty if not the plates!

On the other hand I love beauty. While I subscribe to the idea of William Morris ” have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”, I have transcribed it for my own use to “have nothing in your home but love, truth and beauty”. As my friends know, that makes me obsessed with having lovely dinnerware, table linens and cutlery…and flowers. The point is that the things I treasured in childhood are gone, the settings and the atmosphere the things were used in lives as fresh memories in my heart. I remember the blue china children’s tea set….how I longed for that, what parties I planned! I got it and we had so much fun. Years later my brothers used my play house for raising turkeys, and I found a blue cup used as scoop for their feed. I just laughed, I did not need that. Quite accidentally I still have three items from my childhood though.

Somebody else's treasures

Somebody else’s treasures

They were all treasured in their time and they each tell a tale of what truly makes something precious. The one is a sterling silver porridge scraper, don’t you know what that is? My mother did not either, I got it for my baptism. My mother tried to find a way of using it both for me and for all my siblings, but never got the hang of it. It was constantly referred to as a most valuable item though, it is still in my silverware drawer. I keep it as a reminder that monetary value is a funny thing. The other is the small rocking chair that I got for my fourth birthday. I loved that chair and was able to sit in far up in my teens. I have read so many adventurous stories in that chair! My brothers turned it upside down, unhinged the door of a closet and made a slide of it, someone has cut letters in it, it has moved with me into eleven different houses. Now it sits in the living room of our cabin, waiting for  new adventures.

These brothers do not make slides of chairs anymore! Still playing though!

These brothers do not make slides of chairs anymore! Still playing though!

I keep that one because it is so well done and is still doing its job. It also reminds me that even things that keep, never grow, while a human has to grow to keep. And then I remember the same birthday, a friend gave me a tiny mercury glass bell to hang on the Christmas tree. That was a totally new idea to me, that I as a child could own  something so grown up, something not a toy! Through all those years and all those moves that is one of the few Christmas decorations that have survived in my family. I took it with me when I married,  for 31 years it has been shining on the up most branch of our Christmas tree. One day it will break, or one day I will give it to one of our children for their Christmas, neither way it does not really matter. The treasure to me is not the bell itself, rather  the reflections of all the Christmases that bell has mirrored. Those glimmers of joy are for always a part of who I am.

watering can

And then some years ago I got my grandfather’s watering can, never a treasure , always the one thing that reminded me of his steadfast nurturing and caring for every living thing, me included. A life filled with memories of love, my true and lasting childhood treasure.

Second thoughts

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bare trærIn Norway every holiday has its second day, a great invention. It used to be a necessity, churches were far apart and ministers were few and each minister was serving many congregations.Then the minister had to travel and services in the far out places were long between, some places only at the holidays, and then on the second, third, fourth day. This still lingers on, now the second days are part of the regulated vacation days and everyone wants to keep them, even if the ministers often have the day off now a days.
bare marker A second day, that is a wonderful tool for getting back on track.Not quite holiday, not quite workday. Try it, even if they are not in the official calendar! Do not rush into your normal schedule, as schedules tend to get in the way of real life they need to be tweaked and pruned ever so often. Most of us live a life where we have to establish time for reflections and transition, our surroundings expect us to be ready for totally different tasks without changing gears.I think that attitude has its root in considering man a tool or a piece of machinery, ready to be used for whatever purpose.

vinstokker
If man is indeed part of nature the most elementary knowledge about life is that there is a season to everything, that growing and maturing has to come before bearing fruit. Second days are the perfect opportunity for second thoughts. Not necessarily radically new thoughts, but a chance to stop and to think. Instead of rushing from bustling celebration to hectic workday schedule, take time to let the joy of the holiday settle and take root in your heart so that your life will be richer.

kale

Come to think of it, while we know that time is what makes good fruit in a simple tree, one could be forgiven for thinking we value the fruits of our life to be of lesser value than an apple. Why else do we demand instant results and rewards, why else do we not take time for the reflection that combines knowledge and experience, wisdom and love into fruits worth sharing?

The one place wherein everything is contained – an icon

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January

January

To me, the problem is not finding something to write about. To me, there is never nothing to take pictures of. To me, there is always something to do, to explore, to create. The challenge is to stay focused. There is this picture in the Bible of man being an earthen vessel, while God is the potter. I keep being reminded of my struggles in pottery class when I read that, the whole point was getting the clay centered. If not, everything became a mess.

March

March

To me that is a true fact of life too, when I am centered on what matters most, everything else fall into place. This is perhaps the most important organizing principle of them all, know your values, know your core. Then make that decide the what, the where, the hows and with whom in your life.

May

May

This week’s writing challenge is about icons. Icons is of course first of all a holy picture, made to remind the viewer of a bigger truth that can not be contained in words or a normal image.

July

July

In a larger meaning an icon is the center of the potter’s wheel, a picture of the place in my world that combines soul and wisdom, energy and effort into something far bigger than what the picture itself shows. As the potter makes both everyday and extraordinary pieces, not everything I am or do is glorious, wonderful, special or even what we could call iconic adventures. As the potter knows, I know that everything has to have the same center though.

August

August

A big baking bowl for everyday bread, a tiny pot for the most precious oil, the same center.  It is not the center on an exact wheel that makes it special, but the fact of  it being the center, the point where every thing connects. I travel a lot, and I would be lost if I had to do everything the  same way no matter where I am. I would be equally lost if I did not carry my core with me.

Old boathouses at the shore

Old boathouses at the shore

Perhaps that is how some pictures, some places and some persons become icons? They do not carry only what we see, but also an echo of something that resounds in our soul, an essence only to be seen with our heart, reflected through the core of our being.

Ruffy playing

Ruffy playing

To be true to that, I went through my pictures to see if there was a recurring theme, a place that was the backdrop to my life, somewhere that always had more to show, while always being the same. To me, if a location could show that, it would be iconic. I did not have to look long. All the pictures in this post is from the norwegian mountain valley, Gjevillvassdalen, or rather the big lake in the center of this valley.

September

September

It is an iconic place in the common sense, as it adores postcard and calendars as a typical norwegian scene. It is iconic in the historic sense, as it still farmed as mountain farmland, telling a story of the toil and labour that made Norway into what it is today. To me and my family it is iconic as it is where we have our cabin, it is the place of our children’s childhood and our marriage. It is the place where we have walked in joy and sorrow, awe and wonder. It is the geographical place which symbols love, friendship, family and growth. No matter where we go, it is always in our hearts.

December

December

Weekly photo challenge: a day in my life

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This is just what indexing and organizing and de-cluttering and getting a grip on life is all about, you have to understand this: life does not come in neat and tidy packages. How could you label your life and say: this, this is IT? Life, comes in heaps and  bundles. The thing with trying to get some order, is all about not letting details rule your life, so that you will have energy to handle, confront and enjoy whatever challenges, setbacks and possibilities you’ll encounter. To put it short, you can not go anywhere until you find your car keys, but knowing where your car keys is, won’t take you anywhere either.

I have been thinking about this on different levels for  quite a long time, and this photo challenge just got me started again. No matter what level I choose, something of my life will not be in it. Some instances, yesterday we spent hours trying to solve some software problems….we have nothing to show for that struggle. Except it did not make us especially happy, even then we went on an excursion to the court-house ( a wonderful storybook building) and to the art gallery. Do the pictures I took show my enchantment with the place or my impatience of not having solved my problem? Another instance, we did not see any of our children yesterday, still they are at the heart of everything I think, feel and do. And lastly, it was Good Friday yesterday, which is at the core of my beliefs, I did not go anywhere near a church though, so how could my pictures show it?

Even then, to me, every picture I take, is a reflection of my soul. Every image I share and every word I write is an invitation to listen to your soul, what do you think when you see this? How will we grow when we share our reflections? There then, the glory, and wonder of humankind, we are able to reach out to each other, to understand more, to love more, just form glimpses, just from tiny sparks and ideas. So – ten images from yesterday, from my day, what do you see?!

Chaotic order
which road to choose
Only the muffins pan left of the bakery
Quiet lunch
This is an office window!
Window in Court- house
support
Reading room in Court-house
Reflection of a town
Coffee at the fireplace

The place to eat is…

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coldsprings6

One of the things I never get around to organizing in a pleasing and nice way, is tips on good restaurants. I guess a well-organized person would have a wonderful book with neat clippings and entries, I just jot something on my ever-present index cards. The upside on that is that the advice is in my purse when I need it, sometimes. The best way is probably to do what my husband does, just check it out and go, as soon as possible.

coldsprings4His way of doing things makes some wonderful and surprising outings, as this  sunday trip to somewhere dubbed “the most Romantic Getaway”. We drove on steep mountain roads in the most stunning scenery up the Old Stage Coach road ( from Santa Barbara through the San Marco Pass) and arrived in time for lunch at the old Cold Spring Tavern.

coldsprings5

To me, that name sums it up, what pure bliss it must have been to come to a place with abundant shadow and a cold mountain spring after toiling and sweating up the valley. The historians think this has been the preferred route through the mountains as long as people have lived in the Santa Inez and Santa Barbara valleys, which is around 10 000 years. The tavern has been there since 1865, I guess the hosts must have been just as nice and welcoming all the time as they are still in business?  While the food is traditional and plentiful, the reason to go is the atmosphere, the occasional live music and the friendly service.

solvang bridge

Leaving the tavern you see an interesting historical juxtaposition. The stage coach road was a major improvement when it was engineered, even so, the hills were as steep and the canyon as deep as before, until 1964, when the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge was completed. The bridge  spans elegantly over the canyon as part of SR 154. A major engineering feat which has won awards for both engineering, design and beauty. It is a Historic Civil engineering Landmark. The technical term is a supported deck arch bridge, and it still is among the longest of its kind in the world. This information is on a plaque an the most beautiful viewpoint down the road. My  praise today goes to the American Society of Civil Engineers who makes these signs. I love to know this things, who made it, what is it, the longest, the best and so on, just when I am experiencing it. Thank You! And thanks to Wikimedia Commons for their picture of the Plaque. ( all other pictures by me, as always!)

Civil engineering Landmark

Living index – library saturday

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entrance but not where you actually enter...

Entrance – but not where you actually enter…

Spring Break means going places, so as we were not going anywhere else, we went to have a look at  a beautiful place in our hometown, the Santa Barbara Public Library.  I love almost any library, everything is in order and at hand, and the more books I can borrow at the library the less books will fill my home ( in theory, that is).

Arched windows today

Arched windows today

The wonderful Spanish Revival building was completed in 1924, only to be severely damaged during the big earthquake in 1925. I just checked out old newspapers on that, they said books were falling out of their shelves at the library. Looking at pictures from the time, that must be the understatement of the year. Of course when the dust was settling the catastrophe was clear to everyone.

And this is the library after “some books fell out of the shelves”

Anyways, most of the books are back on rows upon rows of wooden shelves, free to be enjoyed, at the many reading tables or in the deep leather chairs around the enormous fireplace.

I wonder if the fireplace is lit in winter?

I wonder if the fireplace is lit in winter?

Most, but not all, there are a lot of book filled totes on the floor, why? That is the Book Club in a bag, how cool is that? The library packs a tote with 8-10 copies of the required book, reading notes and questions and extra information on the author, just collect and you are ready to host the next book club!

innestigfrode

The library is not listed as a “must see” in Santa Barbara, perhaps because it is not enough to see it, it must be savored, in peace, with a good book. Even so, it is truly a see worthy building. And yes, when you have seen it, you may visit the neighbor, the Santa Barbara City Courthouse, nicknamed the most beautiful public building in the US. Wonderful saturday, without actually going places, just staying.ute

Grandmother’s organizing secret(s)

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I guess your grandmother had this adage, or something like it  ‘to everything it’s own place’. I am sure it works wonders, and every clutter specialist will tell you so. In fact I use that secret…sort of. Everything has it’s own place, only every thing does not know that, at least keys are left in pockets,notes in books and eyeglasses all over. The real difference is not if things are in their place or not, but that they have a place they might be restored to. All the things I (well mostly my family) own, belong somewhere, together with stuff used together with it. That makes it easy to clear up for everyone, and supposedly easier to find things….you know how that reasoning goes. The most important secret is this though,( actually my grandfather’s and what every organizer tells you to get rid of ) Every room must have a place for clutter! And I prefer it to be a drawer, basket or some separate unit. It works, for three reasons when doing a quick clean up, everything that clutters a room goes in there, no need to think where things belong. When looking for lost things you will find them there as ( at least in our family) everyone chucks everything they do not bother to clear away properly there, most important there is a lot of “things” that it is not that easy to designate a place for and that is used all over the place.

And a fourth reason: the wonderful feeling of achievement when you tackle that drawer once in a while and reunite every sock with its mate, every pin with its cushion.

 

as for me…I love that feeling, and tackle my drawers and shelves both in office, home and cabin with regular intervals…bliss!

I can not clear up everything, can I?

I can not clear up everything, can I?

Everything in the air

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Where are you going?

Where are you going?

It is so fun to organize…or rather it is so fun to start to organize. Starting this blog has been like pulling everything out of my closet, putting it on the bed…and then going to prepare dinner. Only to come back late at night and discover that my bed is piled high with clothes- how come? That’s why I gave myself this challenge two minutes ago, stop fiddling about with all the menus and gadgets I could put on this blog, just start writing.
Be true to my beliefs: neither writing, organizing or life itself;is about being perfect, it is all about being centered and focused, knowing where you are going, and being willing to stop doing the things that do not take you there.

Actually that is the basic step of all business strategy and life coaching.Sooner or later you’ll have to stop throwing ideas in the air and pick one. You have to choose, you have to start clearing away, you have to focus, to know what you need to take with you. If you really want to get somewhere, that is. Of course you may keep brainstorming or piling your bed with worn out clothes. It just is not enough.