Mon 15 Mar 2010: Migraine free! 2010-03-15 17:39 Finally, after over a week, my migraine has given way. Yay! Interestingly enough, the whole time I was fighting the pain, what little sleep I got was not bothered by bad dreams. I would not have been surprised if it had been so, as a result of all the pressure and aching. I appreciate my dreamcatchers more and more. Not a single bad dream since I put them up. :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Tue 2 Mar 2010: Bjarni and Ewelina are fine 2010-03-02 19:01 I spent yesterday hopping from one task to another, unable to settle for long at any one thing, unable to focus, waiting, just waiting..even though I knew that we might not hear that day. But the wait finally ended. At precisely 7:15 p.m., I got an sms from Bjarni saying they were fine, had loved the cruise and barely felt anything. It was such a relief! I felt ten tons lighter. :) (I wish!) And then Bjarni called, using Skype. It was wonderful to hear his and Ewelina's voices! :) Mostly Bjarni and Einar exchanged comments and news (in Icelandic) but after a while, I interjected a query about their next plans and Bjarni switched to English. They are planning more trips over the next few days, working their way even further south. This means they will be incommunicado, again. :/ Ah well, at least we know they are okay for now. Andri came over to visit and share dinner with us, so he caught all the news as well. And he also got to see his nephew as we used Skype and called Brynja and Hinrik to let them know the good news. :) I'll be very glad when our kids have gotten this wanderlust out of their systems for awhile! The heart and nerves can only take so much! Sheesh! [ permanent url ] [ ]

Sun 28 Feb 2010: Brynja / Bjarni & The Chile Quake 2010-02-28 12:08 Two big pieces of news hit almost simultaneously. I was talking with Brynja on Facebook, late Friday night, and she told me that she and Hinrik and BB would be coming home in late May or early June. Fantastic!! She'll work on her master's thesis here in Iceland. It will be wonderful to have them home again! The second piece of news was not nearly as fun! Saturday afternoon Einar noted that there had been a 8.8 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter off the coast of Chile. It so happens that Bjarni and Ewelina are currently traversing Chile. A few hours earlier, Bjarni had announced that they would be taking a really interesting cruise south to the tip of Chile and there was a chance of seeing penguins. The latter intrigued both Einar and me. :) Einar started investigating the quake - it's something he routinely does so this was nothing out of the ordinary. :) He started looking at maps. As nearly as we can tell, the starting point for the cruise was some 400 miles south of the quake. Plus, it would be sailing further south. All to the good. Einar found an in-depth description of the cruise and a map and posted the link on Facebook. But I was still uneasy, as was the rest of the family. We tried calling Bjarni - couldn't get through but Einar left a message on his phone. Lora tried to call the cruise company's office (she is fluent in Spanish) to find out the current status of the cruise and boat. I think she at least heard one phone ring, but nobody answered, maybe because it was the weekend. At any rate, we weren't surprised at the no-answer; the phone lines are probably pretty screwed up by the quake as well as heavily used by people attempting to find their relatives. There are over 300 fatalities at the present count (CNN). For a while, tsunamis and aftershocks occupied our minds. But we think that both would be felt much more north of their position. They might just feel a bit more wave while on the boat. Still, it will be a relief to hear from them. I didn't sleep well or long last night. No surprise there. There's a chance we'll hear something tomorrow. Here's hoping! Einar let the Icelandic government (per their request) know that Bjarni was one of the Icelanders currently in Chile. They are keeping a list and updating people's status as they can. So if they hear something before we do, they'll let us know (I hope). The guy Einar talked to actually knew who Bjarni was. Small world. I saw that my sister-in-law Dori's brother was in Hawaii during the tsunami warnings. However, I just read on CNN that the warnings have been retracted now. So I'm hoping all is well. In other news, it snowed here most of yesterday. We have a nice accumulation now and it really looks like winter. [ permanent url ] [ ]

Fri 26 Feb 2010: Snow! 2010-02-26 09:39 Finally, we have some winter snow! It began with a few flakes, so few that I didn't take it seriously. That was on Wednesday night. Overnight a slight dust accumulated. But then, Thursday morning it began to snow in earnest. As the day went on, the snow became deeper, the flakes bigger. And the wind created bigger and bigger drifts. My Toyota, parked out front, was covered. Our front door and window were plastered with snow and the patio was a bed of fluffy white. The bare-branched trees all sported a beautiful white line. Around 5 p.m., I finally opened the front door to try and use broom and shovel to remove the snow so Einar could get in. I managed to clear the stoop before I started wheezing again and went back in. When Einar got home, he shoveled a narrow path to the sidewalk, then used the broom to clear off the car. Although the accumulation was deep, the broom pushed it away with ease; none stuck so it must have been warm enough still to keep from freezing to the car's surface. The car is now parked in our driveway in front of the jeep. Very little new snow fell overnight but the paths/street have not been cleared other than where people shoveled themselves. I haven't heard many stories about stuck cars; traffic slowed way down yesterday, but that was it. And I heard no sirens. So it seems that people are taking the snowy conditions in their stride. :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Wed 24 Feb 2010: Michael Crichton, in remembrance 2010-02-24 21:36 This evening I was watching an episode of ER. This particular episode had flashbacks to a much earlier ER episode, in fact all the way back to early Nov, 2008. And it began by announcing the death of Michael Crichton. I was stunned, 16 months after the fact! I have been a FAN of this writer since 1972, the year I began college. I remember browsing at the university bookstore and finding a book called 'The Andromeda Strain'. It had a profound effect. It was from that time forward that I began actively searching for and collecting particular authors, and Michael Crichton was one of them. I didn't know how to properly pronounce his name until decades after I first encountered it. But once learned, I did not forget. When he died, Einar and I were abroad visiting in Tallinn. And that I think is why I didn't know about it until now. I am grateful for all the wonderful books he wrote and for creating ER, one of my all time favorite tv programs. What a versatile and prolific man! May he rest in peace. [ permanent url ] [ ]

Mon 22 Feb 2010: Happy Birthday, Oli! 2010-02-22 17:37 Today is my brother-in-law, Oli's birthday. Many happy returns of the day, Oli! Innilega til hamingju meš daginn!! Last night's dinner (to celebrate Atli's birthday) went well. :) We were six; Ingimundur, Andri, Lora and Atli, Einar and I. There was enough food and dessert. Yay! I made Atli take the leftover dessert with him. hehe A couple of nights ago, I had a pleasant dream in which our grandson, B.B., and a baby sea otter were featured. B.B., when asked if he was 'good' boy, shook his head 'no'; when asked if he was a 'naughty' boy, he smiled his most mischievous little grin and nodded 'yes'. haha Cute, whether in dream or reality! In the dream, we visited a pool into which we were allowed to wade, and the baby sea otter insisted on resting on my arm in the water while nibbling on whatever it was I gave him. What fun! I love babies, all sorts. :) Such dreams sure make sleep a pleasure! I love my dream catcher. :) Andri came over this afternoon and we shared lunch together. That was nice. :) He's planning on coming over tomorrow and bringing me some more riveting material to watch; he might also help clean up some of the trash that has caught in the bushes around the yard. I'd love to get this done before the weekend; Einar told me today that snow is expected here then. I saw someone on Facebook who commented that it was only fair if we got some as they had already gotten their share in NE Iceland. hehe It was lovely to see sunshine today. When Einar and I walked around the downtown pond (and visited Thorbjorg at the school booth she was manning) last Saturday, the sun was hidden behind the clouds. The ice was thick on the pond with only a couple of spots of flowing water; the birds were exceedingly noisy and greedy and fun to watch. Of course, at this time of year, with sunshine comes colder temps. Normally, I wouldn't mind but, today, I was sorely lacking in energy so I did not go for my usual walk, even though the sunshine beckoned. Instead, I concentrated on in-house tasks and rested in between. Einar missed the gallivant this past weekend; now I'm wondering if, if it actually does snow, he will want to take advantage of it and go out next weekend. He definitely needs to get himself some new ski boots so the option is there! Ah well, it's all idle speculation at this point. Time'll tell if any of it is relevant or comes true. I chatted with Thorbjorg and Bjarni on Facebook this morning. :) It's lovely when I can connect. And it seems to have gotten easier after I joined Facebook. I'm enjoying all the updates and comments found there. It makes me feel as though I'm maintaining my connections with a lot less hassle. And, since everyone has a picture, it's all that much more personalized, helping me to visualize whomever I'm talking with or reading about. Very nice. :) When I looked out my living room window this afternoon, I saw birds perched all over our pine tree. I idly wished I had my camera in hand, but I knew that as soon as I moved to fetch it, the birds would have flitted away. So I just stood there and enjoyed the show for the few moments it lasted. It's a definite advantage to have so many trees around our yard; I love watching the birds come and go. Which reminds me: last night there was a sudden commotion that startled us a bit. Einar and I looked at each other and then he went to the driveway side of the house from where the sound had emanated. When he looked out, there was a raven who had evidently hopped on/off the rain gutter. It's always nice to know what causes the many unexplained bumps and crashes around the house. ;) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Sun 21 Feb 2010: Three birthdays, 2 parties 2010-02-21 21:44 Yup! The number of birthdays this month is phenomenal! Yesterday was Fanney's birthday (Einar represented us at the party while I rested); today is both Einar's aunt Dora's birthday and Lora's Atli's birthday. :) And tomorrow is Oli's birthday! I hope everyone has/had a great personal celebratory day! Hugs to all! Atli and Lora, Andri and Ingimundur joined us for a lasagne dinner this evening. We all overate, I think. Then, after Atli blew out his symbolic candle, and opened a few prezzies, we had minty brownies and ice cream and green grapes. Today is also women's day here in Iceland. :) And when Lora and Atli arrived, they gave me a beautiful bouquet of white lilies which now reside in a vase on our coffee table. Many thanks to both of them!! Now the dishes are swishing. I only need to hang some laundry and then can relax the rest of the evening. Yay! :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Wed 17 Feb 2010: Quiet time 2010-02-17 18:42 Half of this past week I've spent feeling miserable. But now I'm getting better. Meantime, I'm just spending time on the couch, reading or now and then checking email and facebook. It's nice to just be quiet for a while. I got some really nice pictures from my sister and niece. Those were great pick-me-ups! Plus, I reconnected with one friend, got a funny email from my daughter, a sweet ecard from my cousin, and some informative emails from yet another cousin. All in all, it has been a profitable few days contact-wise. Thanks to all the above! In addition, another friend has said we might be able to meet this summer - yay! I always look forward to her visits! :) Kids busily ran around in costumes today, singing for candy. I saw a few. :) However, this time I decided not to take part. Hopefully, I'll feel more up to it next year. The kids I saw were already on a sugar high and that was at noon. So I don't feel too bad about not contributing this year. I have a feeling quite a few will have trouble going to sleep tonight. [ permanent url ] [ ]

Wed 10 Feb 2010: Happy Birthday, Maria and Jenna! 2010-02-10 22:45 Today is cousin Maria's birthday. Happy Birthday, my dear! Hope your day has been a happy one. :) I want to wish my niece, Jenna, a belated Happy Birthday. Sorry, Jenna. Hope your day was a very happy one, my dear. Hugs! As for me, I'm still chillin'. I thought about going out today to walk a little. I got as far as putting on my coat. Then I mentally checked my energy levels and decided that further rest was needed before going out and using more up. Perhaps tomorrow... [ permanent url ] [ ]

Mon 8 Feb 2010: Happy Birthday, Karen! 2010-02-08 19:28 I haven't written a blog in a long while but I do have a very good excuse: Einar and I just got back from over a week's visit to Brynja, Hinrik and BB in London. :) We had a marvelous but low key (per our request) time. We spent our time playing and going outside with little BB, did some shopping and played lots and lots of Catan. Einar and I are definitely getting better at it! Einar won at least once and I won twice, much to Brynja's chagrin. hehe I am totally addicted to this game! While there, I won the Catan extension that I needed on eBay, so I ended up getting it new (never opened by the previous owner) for a little more than half of what I'd have paid here in Iceland and cheaper than on amazon. Nice!! Today is little Karen's birthday. Happy Birthday, Karen! After Einar went to work this morning (already back in work mode), Andri and I spent a mostly lazy day at home. He read and drowsed on the couch; I did laundry, unpacked, read and drowsed on my bed. It was necessary; I have still not recouped all my energy. We got home last night around midnight. I think I was asleep within 5 minutes of hitting the pillow. lol Gotta get back into the routine. It shouldn't take too long. Andri kept the house in very good order while we were gone. :) I just have to replenish a few grocery supplies and coax one of the guys to take down the emptied luggage. :) It was nice to come back to dry, cool, sunny weather. It was mostly wet in London, which did not stop us from going outside but definitely wasn't as appealing weather as it could have been. Regardless, we saw lots of squirrels (BB's favorite), cats, dogs and birds; I also saw a green parakeet flying free in the park we frequented twice. There is quite a variety of birds in London and each morning I listened to quite a concert outside our window; it was a pleasant way to start the day. :) There aren't so many birds singing outside our windows over here, but it was still quite nice to be back home again. Brynja and Hinrik are great hosts to their guests but, after a while, one just wants to wake up in one's own bed. ;) BB is growing and becoming more and more vocal. He's such a cutie pie! He loves to count things and also likes to point out things to his pretend friend, his panda bear. Whoever's in the room has to 'animate' the bear, making him look, follow, gesture and even hide, much to BB's delight. :) He also likes to tease, play hide and seek, and help mommy do laundry (he can load the machine and help her take off the line so that dry laundry can be folded). He helps set the table, too, and wants to brush his teeth whenever mommy does. He's a fun little guy! :) It is such a pleasure to watch him grown and to witness the interaction between him, his parents and others! We are fortunate to be able to be a part of his growing up years. :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Tue 26 Jan 2010: Happy Birthday, Deb! / A Motorized Dream 2010-01-26 09:01 Today is my friend Deb's birthday. Happy Birthday, Deb! I hope you have a wonderful day! Hugs! I hope your present arrived on time. :) ***************** What do Unnur, Mohammed Ali, our Icelandic President and I have in common? We all went by bus and attended the same funeral of a favorite pop singer (not Icelandic) in my dream last night (and like a choir we, along with the other attendees, sang a moving pop song afterwards). In fact, Olafur sat next to me and bemoaned not being able to wear shoes (and having forgotten his socks) - his big toe had dirt under the nail... lol Afterwards, the bus I climbed onto for the return trip had to make its way over 6 feet snow and ice drifts (the bus just barreled through like a train!) of a washed out section of country road by the edge of a narrow river channel before finding pavement again; it wasn't the same bus I'd arrived on for I couldn't find my shoes anywhere. For some reason, the rest of the dream was about me and vehicles: driving (both a car and a motorized wheelchair - very adeptly, I assure you); catching a bus with Andri (I was late while looking for my camera and sent him out to catch the bus and stall the driver); trying to squeeze the wheelchair through a 1 foot exiting turnstile (I managed); and frowning disapprovingly at two cars revving up an upwardly inclined curved walk path - one sped up to pass the other by driving on the grass verge. I remember hoping that the cars didn't run into any pedestrians as they took this 'short cut' to the street above. And I thought about the resultant damage to the grass verge, as well. Well, dreams can be very strange, can't they? hehe Fun to remember some of the more absurd ones... [ permanent url ] [ ]

Tue 19 Jan 2010: A Request for my new Project 2010-01-19 13:28 On the 17th, Einar's nephew became a proud father to his first child, a little girl. I've seen pictures (thanks to his aunt Thorbjorg - many thanks!), and she's a real sweetie! Many congratulations to Dui and Maria! ******************* When Einar had his birthday, all at once it hit me - we are already in our late 50s! When did that happen?? Realizing it took me aback. Time marches on but the significance of that passage of time just didn't register, until now. In an aside, I get a really nice email from a friend who asked how I manage to 'never change'. lol That made me feel a little less decrepit. I do have some gray strands in my hair now. Fortunately, my natural hair color is still prominent. :) I say 'fortunately' because it is my one feature that I've always liked; I'd like to enjoy it a bit longer. As all who know me know, I have a thing about collecting pictures (of family). Well, the family just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Just before Christmas, it expanded even more. A distant cousin contacted me, wanting to exchange pictures and historical stories of our joint genealogy. I was agreeable and then, wham! I was swamped. Dwight sent me a lot more than I had anticipated! But, thankfully, my mom is helping me sort it all out. :) As a direct result, I am becoming privy to a lot more of my forebears' history (and my own) in the process. It is fascinating! I never realized how little I knew before now! Growing up, I just seemed to live in 'the now', passively accepting all that happened and never actually putting it all together. Consequently, when Dwight started asking me questions, I hadn't a clue what to tell him and had to ask Mom and then pass on the info. But now, I am a lot older and TAKING NOTICE of what I am told. And I can even ASK QUESTIONS! This has extended to family history closer to home, too. I started to ask questions a few years ago. A little knowledge goes a long way. I have a lot more questions as a consequence! This is a significant change. Not only do I have pictures of my forebears, but I also have history to go along with them and it is bringing the family alive. :) I am very happy! My only regret is that when I visited my aunt Irene and uncle Orville, I didn't have a tape recorder with me! Alas, my memory is full of holes! And I mourn the loss. I would be in 7th heaven if they would sometime put their memories of growing up (with my dad) on tape; Kathy, or maybe Jack, can you beg/borrow/steal a tape recorder? I am hoping you can make this a reality for both your own benefits as well as mine. I know it would be a lot of trouble, but less than writing it down which is what Mom has been doing for me. And I would attempt to transcribe whatever they said (and share it). As I said, that would be the best present ever (aside from another visit, hehe)! Also, gulp, I intend to try and put together the whole of what I've learned (for future generations as well as for those of current generations who are interested). This, of course, will take quite some time, but I'm willing to give it a go. Now all I need is input. :) So, dear family, help me out. Think about your past and write it down or put it on tape. You'll thank me later for the suggestion. 'Cause even if you don't share it with me, just thinking about it will bring further memories to light and it can be revelatory as well interesting, not just to you but also to your children. Mom asked me some time ago to write down my own 'history'. Well, I've been doing that, writing down 'highlights' and impressions and thoughts for the last few years. Those, along with this chatbox and emails, would go a long way to painting a picture of my life over the last 30+ years; I've written stories of the time before that; I shall have to write more, though, to cover the earliest years. How exciting! :) Einar finally got our scanner connected. It will only work with his 'mac' though. When he is not so busy (he's on earthquake watch this week and there are many more than in previous watches), I'll get him to teach me how to use it; then I will continue scanning pictures from our picture albums as well the few pictures that have trickled in over the last few years. Lots to do! :) But the closer I get to finishing this task, the more satisfaction I feel. And once that is accomplished, I have this new project of the family history to think about. It is nice to have a goal in mind. :) It is nice to have a 'reason' to get up each day. And it is a plus that it will benefit more than just myself. [ permanent url ] [ ]

Wed 13 Jan 2010: In demon mode 2010-01-13 10:46 The last few days I have been working like a demon to get caught up entering all the many pictures that have accumulated over the last 6 months and last night, at midnight, I finally finished. Yay! Now I can get back to scanning old pictures from our picture albums and adding them as I go - only a decade to work on! Yikes! In other news, little BB turned 19 months old yesterday. I can't wait to see his new picture. :) Today should be Brynja's last exam and then she can concentrate on writing reports over the next 2 weeks. Busy, busy young lady! Good luck, Brynja! It is cold and icy out. I think I will go over to the mall and walk around a bit. Seems like an age since I last did that. I need to get a few things for Einar's birthday on Friday. hehe Tomorrow will be a treat! Our friends' (Begga and Siggi) daughter is one of 2 musicians (she plays the flute) who won a competition in November to play with the Icelandic symphony tomorrow evening. Einar and I already have our tickets. :) It should be a really fun concert. I love going to the symphony! And to listen to Helga Svala play just adds to the fun. She is VERY talented! Well, off I go. Have a great day, people! [ permanent url ] [ ]

Thurs 7 Jan 2010: Bye bye, BB and Hinrik 2010-01-07 18:03 Einar took Hinrik and BB to the airport this afternoon and returned with his mother - an efficient trip! :) This officially ends our Christmas holiday. The kids' visit was wonderful; we shall miss BB coming up the stairs and calling out 'Hi' and smiling every morning. Sigh.. I won't take down the Christmas tree and decorations until tomorrow or maybe even the weekend; it depends on my energy levels. Right now I'm pretty tired. BB woke up early this morning so the rest of us got up early, too. I almost fell asleep on the couch while waiting for Einar to return from the airport; I was half watching an episode of one of my favorite series but even it couldn't keep my eyes from slowly closing. However, when Einar and his mom came in, I stumbled to my feet and spent the next half hour uncontrollably yawning. Sheesh! Yesterday was the annual family gathering on the last official day of Christmas. Einar, Lora, Hinrik, BB and I went; our contribution this year was a potato dish. I was looking forward to seeing BB dance and sing around a tree but, for some reason, they skipped it this year. :( When Hinrik and BB came home later that evening after visiting Hinrik's folks, Einar lighted a sparkler for BB to hold. He wasn't too sure about it at first, but seemed to enjoy the sparks the longer he held it. It fizzled out fast and he actually asked for another but it was late so his father said one was enough and got him ready for bed. I think maybe Hinrik took a picture of him holding the sparkler; I hope the picture turns out. :) Einar's round of annual work/hobby get-togethers begins tomorrow evening. Seems like Icelanders crowd a lot of them into the dark nights of each early year. I guess it alleviates the gloom. :) Anyway, it's back to the normal routine for me. I have lots of blogs to catch up on. And plenty of people have lent me books to read; that'll keep me busy for a while. :) But not for too long. A birthday is coming up in just 8 more days. So I will have a quiet week. I think I need it - you know, a holiday from the holiday! hehe [ permanent url ] [ ]

Thur 31 Dec 2009: HAPPY NEW YEAR! and THANKS! 2009-12-31 15:15 It's the last day of 2009. It has been an eventful year to say the least! There have been both ups to rejoice in and downs to simply bear and get through. But I count my blessings in that the family is still there in both spirit and heart. Those that are farthest away stay in touch by computer and phone and the sound of a loved voice or the personality in the wording of a phrase brings them closer and leaves a smile on the lips and a warm glow in the heart. :) I want to thank everyone for their remembrances this year, be it cards, emails, phone calls, gifts, hugs, visits, conversations etc over the holidays and throughout the year! All were appreciated and much enjoyed! My hope for all my loved ones, both family and friends, is that 2010 will be a year with far more ups and far fewer downs, that we will all stay in touch, maintain our health, and that goals will be reached or at least brought closer to fruition. Stay well, people, keep your spirits up (I shall attempt to do the same) and I hope that I will get to see some of you in person. If not, then I will use phone calls, emails, Facebook and MSN to keep the lines open and communication at as a high a level as possible. Take care! Hugs and Best Wishes! [ permanent url ] [ ]