Sun 28 Jun 2009: A busy few days 2009-06-28 14:09 Lots of happenings over the last few days... Thursday last I had lunch with Begga. That was fun, as always. :) It will probably be our last get-together though until sometime in August; summer plans are many as well as her earthquake watches at work. Like Einar, she and her husband Siggi will be going on a walking trek, just not in the same area or with the same people. I'm sure they'll have a wonderful time and hope the weather will be accommodating. On Friday, sweet Andri took Lora and me to lunch at Pizza Hut; they have a buffet at lunch time. There were many different types of pizza to choose from as well as soup, salad, and bread sticks. None of us had ice cream after - we were too full! haha After I dropped the two kids off, Lora at work and Andri to pick up his bike, I drove on and visited with Kjartan for an hour. Ella was there when I got there but left soon after, leaving her brother Ottar and her son Ingimundur with me. We chatted very quietly while keeping a close eye on Kjartan, who was sleeping, in case he should wake and need something. Towards the end of the hour, Kjartan did waken and Ottar was quick to buzz for the nurse. My pain in my hip was getting pretty insistent by then, so I took my leave to go home and rest. Yesterday, Einar left just before 7 to climb Esja, and was back by 9:25. We made a quick run to the store and then both laid down to take a nap; neither of us had slept well or enough in the night. Lora came at 1 and we got up but Einar reclined on the couch to continue dozing until Brynja and Hinrik brought Bjartur around 1:30. They only stayed about 5 minutes and then left to attend a wedding; Bjartur stayed behind with us. :) He was muzzy from his nap for the first 20 minutes or so and clung to Gramma. But as long as I was within touching distance, he was okay with playing with Auntie Lora and grinning at Grampa. We coaxed him into eating a late lunch and then he was more willing to play. When Mom and Dad came back around 3:30, he was contentedly playing with everyone, but still didn't like it if any of us disappeared from his sightline for even a few seconds. Of course when Mom and Dad came, he wanted them only. ;) They stayed for about 15 minutes before rushing home to change clothes and try to eat a little; they accomplished the former but not the latter when we followed them, arriving at their place at 4:30. Bjartur was still in his highchair, eating, when I went in; Einar delayed to talk with Hinrik outside about problems with Hinrik's truck. Brynja was washing up and trying to indicate where everything was before she left; she and Hinrik were to be at the reception at 5. Einar finally came in and we got Bjartur interested in walking all over the flat, dragging his push car with him; he'd rather drag it than straddle and push it with his feet. And the funny part is that he held onto the car, supposedly for support while walking, but was actually walking and dragging it everywhere - there was no way he was actually being supported by it! lol But the illusion was there and that's what he needs, at this point in time. :) He was busily and happily occupied in this activity for some time and barely looked up when Mommy said goodbye; it makes a big difference to him where he is when they leave him. Home, even without Mommy and Dad, gives him a strong sense of security and then he is much happier and more inclined to accept babysitters. Once we were sure his parents were really gone, we dressed Bjartur in his outdoor gear and took him out for a walk. First we watched Grampa finish charging Hinrik's truck and inflating a flat tire, then we all walked (at Bjartur's speed) to the nearby playschool, finding an intriguing buttercup on the way, to which he held on tightly. Bjartur likes flowers. :) At the playschool, Bjartur swung and watched two older girls who were playing there (one was 4, her sister 7). The younger joined Bjartur at the swings for a while before joining her sister on other toys. Bjartur likes watching other kids and kept an eye on them while we were there. When Bjartur started rubbing his nose and giving a tiny yawn, it was time to go; I still had to cook dinner and feed him before he dropped off! He played well at home and listened/watched a musical baby video while I prepared his meal and then ate every bite plus some off of Gramma's plate. hehe By the end, he was yawning big time. After being changed and dressed in his jammies, he fell asleep on my lap, drinking his warmed milk; he didn't quite finish all of it, for he was just too tired. A new development, which Brynja told me he had also done the night before, was constant tossing and turning and ranging all over his crib from one end to the other in his sleep. I kept going in and covering him, because he was coughing. But after a while, he stopped coughing, even though his restlessness continued. I put his bottle of water in his crib - he gets thirsty at night. He drank from it a couple times and seemed to settle down after that. He even covered himself once. By the time his parents came home, around midnight, he was finally in a deep sleep and had stopped moving around. And Einar was sound asleep on the couch; I was reading, and keeping an ear cocked to the baby monitor. Einar woke early this morning, as usual, but not to his pleasure. He definitely wanted to sleep more, but just couldn't. So he got up, ate, and mowed the lawn. I didn't wake up until 11! But I hadn't slept well the two nights before so I wasn't surprised. When I finally did wake up, I felt rested, but still sore. However, better to have fixed one of my problems than none. ;) I'll be resting today, as a consequence. I saw Einar off before getting on with my day. Einar will be taking a turn at sitting a few hours with his dad. Kjartan mostly sleeps now, but occasionally wakes and needs the nurse. Whoever is with him is there to push the call button for him as he cannot now do it himself. I got two sms's from Bjarni and Ewelina this morning. They have left Spain and are now in London. They fly to Mexico City tomorrow. The excitement builds! :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Tue 23 Jun 2009: Fun dinner party :) 2009-06-23 12:03 We had a great dinner last night at Oli and Stina's. :) No surprise there! Stina is a great cook! The company was fun, too, being comprised of several siblings and spouses, along with Fanney. Fanney and I had a wonderful time, talking and giggling, along with lots of hugs. :) Before we went, I got a visit from Andri. I was very glad to see him as we hadn't for a few days and also I was burning with curiosity about his new job, hehe, and didn't like to inadvertently interrupt him at work or while sleeping, so I never knew when was a good time to call, so I didn't call at all! Agh! But he seems to like the job, yay!, and working with other young people. Einar and I are very happy for him. :) I was industrious this morning and sorted and filed, and also tossed ancient magazines. Now there's room to collect more. hehe It's high noon. Where's the sun?? Outside is grey-white and very wet. Hmmm.. I guess this summer will be nothing like last year's. Looks like we're in for a wet one. [ permanent url ] [ ]

Sun 21 Jun 2009: Adventures in Babysitting 2009-06-21 10:24 Yesterday, Einar and I were to watch little Bjartur while his mommy and daddy attended a party. But not until 4:30, a long time to wait. I kept watching the clock, and just after four finally got Einar to stop his sudoku computer game and pack up to go. (I brought 2 board games and cards with us to pass the time while Bjartur was sleeping.) Einar just laughed at my impatience; but, in reality, he was just as keen to see his little grandson and didn't need much coaxing on my part to get moving. ;) Before they left, Brynja talked me through his usual evening routine, and I thought 'piece of cake'. Riiight! lol While Einar entertained our little guy, I prepared his food. It was nicely mushed, not too thick or dry, but a little hot. But I managed to cool a couple of bites which Bjartur accepted. That's when the schedule went completely haywire! Bjartur whimpered and wanted to be held by Grampa. Grampa declined, encouraging Bjartur to eat a little more. Bjartur whimpered and switched over to Gramma, who couldn't deny him. I picked him up and within literally 2 seconds, he was sound asleep on my shoulder. Eek! There went the schedule and it was only 5:45!! Einar and looked at each other, stunned. But there was no denying that Bjartur was sound asleep so I put him into his bed and covered him. And thought 'what are we gonna tell his parents?' When I returned to the livingroom, I was still nonplussed; it was too early for Bjartur to be able to sleep through the night, but at least he had gotten some sips of water earlier and a couple of bites of food in his belly. All we could do was wait for developments. To use the time, in case he did wake again, we ate the lamb stew (very yummy!) that our hosts had prepared for us. It was very strange for the two of us to being eating our evening meal all alone at someone else's table! Just as I finished, little Bjartur woke up. It had been an approximately 20 minute nap. He was his usual dazed self after a nap, but didn't mind that it was Gramma that was holding him. I carried him into the kitchen area again and then his monitor started roaring - I'd forgotten to turn it off when I picked him up. Einar ran to disconnect it. By the time he had, Bjartur was wide awake. Of course! lol We were hoping to coax Bjartur to eat some more, and by now his food was definitely not too hot (I'd kept it covered). hehe At first he wasn't much interested but then I had the bright idea of having Einar turn on the tv. Bjartur was distracted by it and while so, obligingly ate up half of the food I'd smushed for him. Yay! Something in his belly! :) But he declined any fruit puree afterwards. Next on the agenda was supposed to be a bath. While I ran the water, Einar entertained Bjartur who did not like it when I disappeared from his sight. But it was only for a moment and then he was fine with Grampa. ;) They watched some kids from the window. When all was ready, Einar brought Bjartur into the bathroom and we proceeded to undress him, with lots of protests. A bath might have been in 'the plan', but Bjartur had his own ideas, and bathing wasn't one of them. By the time he was disrobed, he was actively protesting the whole idea. Einar put some toys in the water to tempt him and Bjartur did look at them, but when I lowered him towards the water, he wasn't happy. I hugged him a bit more, then lowered him again, one toe at a time. Once his feet were in the water, he looked around and decided 'nope', and clutched me around the neck, tight, until I took him up again. The water was not too hot; he just didn't want to play in it. Sigh. The program was NOT going according to plan. So we put his diaper on; he was not thrilled! And getting his pajamas on only made him more disgruntled. But at last he was clothed and Einar carried him into the other room. Einar started flipping through tv channels and, by chance, I saw a dog show that Bjartur seemed interested in, so we settled on that. Bjartur liked it. :) We sat on the couch and watched the doggies, Bjartur wrapped in his sæng so he wouldn't get chilled. We also looked at books and a couple times Bjartur wanted Grampa to hold him so that he could see his computer. But he mostly sat with me and snuggled, and spent a considerable amount of time playing with a hair he found, playing tug of war, and slipping in from one hand to the other or just sliding it through his fingers until he finally misplaced it. He also teased Gramma a few times by pretending to eat it, just to get a reaction, and then chuckled when Gramma did react. :) Finally, just around 8, he nodded off. I took him in to his bed and covered him, but it was a false alarm; he reared up and complained so I picked him back up, sæng and all, and just hummed and swayed, there on the edge of his parents' bed until he fell asleep for real. In the meantime, his mommy called and I could hear Einar talking with her, saying he thought Bjartur was asleep. He was close; Bjartur was getting sleepier by the moment. hehe Finally, Bjartur couldn't stay awake any longer. Poor little guy. No fun being stuffed up with a cold! I covered him, opened the window a crack for fresh air, pulled the door to and went in to the other room. Einar quickly followed Bjartur's example and sacked out on the couch. There went my idea of games! I settled in the chair to read. I had just gone in to check that Bjartur was still covered (I heard him cough) and sure enough he had turned over and was only half covered, when I heard someone very quietly fiddling with the front door. The locked turned and the door inched open as I watched. Mommy and Daddy had come home early! They entered and, at first, we were all speaking in whispers. Einar was still zonked out on the couch. hehe But within a minute, he was awake and we were all talking in normal voices. I updated them on the evening's activities and Einar discussed details of their up-coming gallivant. They gave us some lovely flowers which are now on the window ledge in our bedroom - it's cooler in there than in the rest of the house so maybe they'll last longer. :) While on the phone earlier with Brynja, Einar mentioned to me that they were talking about a flower shop. We just assumed that they meant to give flowers at the second party they were to attend that night; instead, they decided to come home early and bought flowers for us. How sweet of them! :) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Each time we are with Bjartur, it is an adventure. :) One never knows quite what is going to happen. And, although we didn't stick 100% to his normal routine, we had an interesting visit with our little guy, and he got fed and changed and cuddled and entertained until he fell asleep. So, all in all, I think he was reasonably content. And, as always, for us, time with Bjartur is VERY WELL SPENT. :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Thurs 18 Jun 2009: Plenty of contacts today :) 2009-06-18 20:51 What fun! I got email from Bjarni and lots of visitors at dinner time. :) Andri came and not too much later, picked up Lora and Atli. After dinner, I gave the latter two a ride home, and then Hinrik came over. Plus, I talked with Brynnie on the phone (and heard Bjartur in the background. This has been a good day. :) And even more good news: Andri starts his new job tomorrow. Congratulations, son! I'm very happy for you. :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Wed 17 Jun 2009: Icelandic Independence Day 2009-06-17 10:01 Happy Independence day! Yesterday was my sister-in-law, Stína's birthday. Til hamingju með afmælið, Stína! [ permanent url ] [ ]

Mon 15 Jun 2009: Routine - good for processing 2009-06-15 11:02 Yesterday, Brynja and Hinrik and Bjartur came for a short visit after having danced downtown, and enroute to Hinrik's parents' house to celebrate Anna's birthday. I'm sure it was a happy day for her 'cause she got to see her grandson. ;) Bjartur was asleep when they came. Brynja laid him on our bed and we bulked up the coverlets around him so he wouldn't inadvertently roll off. But even so, both Brynja and I kept an eye and ear on him for he moves quickly! While Brynja and Hinrik looked at maps with Einar, I gazed at our sleeping babe. A breeze was starting up so I moved around the bed to adjust the window and don't you know it, as soon as I turned my back (all of 2 seconds), Bjartur woke, sat up and looked around in a daze. He was just about to dive off the bed and give a yell (cause Mom wasn't in sight) when I swept him up and hugged him and carried him straight in to where the others were. He didn't cry or get upset, but it still took a while for him to actually wake up. He wasn't interested in eating or drinking but he was content. I let him bat the bells a little which he enjoyed. Just as he shook off his sleepiness and took an interest in Grampa and playing, it was time for them to leave - short but sweet visit. :) Before they came, Einar and I walked around the neighborhood; we waited for awhile because of a couple of heavy showers; it was fun to get out, move a little and get some fresh air. But I was prudent and rested afterwards, just to be on the safe side. Meantime, Einar worked on switching tires on his jeep which also involved removing old tires from rims and switching. He's not quite done but is making progress. Now I'm listening to the radio (good selection of tunes!) while I write. The laundry is doing its thing, I've swept, straightened, and mailed a letter for Einar. I also walked up and down our street and read the daily newspaper. Next on the agenda is making a shopping list and going to the store. It's back to the normal routine, at least for a little while. And that's fine with me; it gives me a chance to breathe and process recent events. For example, Bjarni called from Poland. It was good to hear his voice. :) He and Ewelina attended a wedding there over the weekend and met her family at the family hotel they all stayed at. I think over the next few days they intend to traverse and explore part of Poland before moving on to Spain. I have a feeling I'll be seeing Andri later today for his interview is in our vicinity. I hope it goes well. Time to get back to my chores... [ permanent url ] [ ]

Fri 12 Jun 2009: BJARTUR is 1!! :) 2009-06-12 14:59 Our precious little guy has already graced our lives and hearts for a whole year now! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BJARTUR! Gramma and Grampa will come by later today and give you lots of hugs and kisses (and maybe a present or two). hehe We'll also take lots of pictures. ;) We can hardly wait! Congratulations to the young parents on their fine young son! In the vernacular, 'you did good!'. Thanks go to Ella and María who already sent congratulations before I ever wrote the entry! lol Takk! :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Tue 9 Jun 2009: YET MORE PICTURES :) 2009-06-09 20:49 I got incredibly much accomplished today. :) Including putting in yet MORE NEW PICTURES (in June). ;) You know where to go, people! hehe Much of the day went into finishing working on, labeling and uploading the pictures. But I also went shopping, did laundry, baked, made beef stew and biscuits from scratch, answered emails, and have finished cleaning up the kitchen. So now, the evening stretches before a weary me with plenty on the tv to watch and an interesting book to read (Andri grabbed it and started reading it while eating his dessert, but did not try to abscond with it, hehe). Bjarni called me twice, using me as a guinea pig. But the first time he called, the connection was so poor that I had no idea why. I went on msn and then he called again; this time the connection wasn't bad but the sound was so low that I practically had the phone crammed in one ear with my finger in the other to hear him whisper at me. He told me he had the sound cranked all the way up on his laptop, too. He did a couple more experiments with his cell phone and then Ewelina's (to her surprise) as well. He was not very enthusiastic about the results. Yesterday, I worked on the downstairs, changing around some pictures, cleaning and straightening. When I was done with that, I made a collage of collected beautiful Icelandic landscapes upstairs. Einar spent quite a few minutes trying to figure out where each picture was taken (without looking at the captions). He's pretty good. ;) Hunh...I guess it's all about pictures lately. But no more new ones - at least not until Friday! hehe [ permanent url ] [ ]

Sat 6 Jun 2009: Congratulations, Ella! 2009-06-06 23:29 Many congratulations go to Ella! This morning she climbed Mt. Esja all the way to the top with Einar and several others in the family. It was her first time. She came back triumphant but weary and burned a bright red. My 'after-sun cream' came in handy both for her and Einar. :) The outing ended up taking about 6 hours, all told. While they were gone, Andri visited, as well as Brynja and Bjartur. I went for a walk with the latter two in bright sunshine and pretty weather. There was enough of a breeze that I wore the lightest jacket I own (just bare cloth), and a brim to keep the sun out of my eyes. It was a nice walk, not exactly of the epic proportions of Ella's achievement, but a very respectable attempt on my part. hehe (I did get tired afterwards.) Then they left to attend a birthday party but promised to return for dinner, greatly to Einar's pleasure. :) Otherwise, he would have missed seeing his little grandson. Bjarni called and, although I answered the phone, he ended up speaking mostly with Einar. It was good to hear his voice. He and Ewelina will be in Dublin until next Thursday. And then the prelude to their great adventure begins. To their surprise, their few remaining possessions actually fit into their luggage. Thumbs up! [ permanent url ] [ ]

Fri 5 Jun 2009: Birthday Greetings and a Comic Encounter 2009-06-05 20:12 Today is Ella's son, Robert Stefan's birthday. Til hamingju með afmælið, Robbi! It is also Einar's paternal aunt Disa's birthday today. Til hamingju, Dísa! After I played tortoise today, I decided to take the opportunity (of no wet clothes hung to drip on me) and soak my bum leg. All was well for about 30 minutes. I almost dozed off. hehe Then I got a phone call - no problem, I'd been expecting it. I no sooner hung up than the phone rang again. It was my son. We got through all the preliminary 'hi's' and he asked where I was. I told him 'in the bath'. Seemingly a bit scandalized, he asked if I customarily took the phone to the bath with me and I told him with a laugh that I was half expecting a call. Then he said, 'Guess where I am?' I hadn't a clue and told him so. He said, 'I'm in the livingroom.' Totally surprised, I asked 'How long have you been in there?' 'About a half hour' he replied. I was flabbergasted. He wouldn't hang up right away - didn't want to wait for me to come out. Turned out he wanted to borrow the car to visit his cousin and there was a time factor involved. I was fine with that and asked him to transport a microwave at the same time. He was amenable and I was pleased. I listened but didn't hear any leaving sounds but then I hadn't heard him arrive either. *SHOCK!!* At any rate, bath time was at an end (I got too hot), so I dried off, dressed and opened the connecting door to get some cool air.. to find him still seated on the couch with his laptop on his lap. Smiles were exchanged. We chatted for a minute or two before he started packing up his stuff. A short visit, but sweet. :) The whole thing felt a bit like a spoof and I had to laugh. hehe When he left, I hung the wet laundry. [ permanent url ] [ ]

Wed 3 Jun 2009: More pics and an adventure :) 2009-06-03 14:28 Yesterday, Einar gave me access to the most recent pictures and I spent the whole day downloading, gimping, labeling and finally posting them. Those with access can find them in both Apr and May. :) I had an adventure this morning. :) I was actually on my way to Ikea, right behind a bus. The bus dipped into the recess at the bus stop where one young woman waited, then put on a burst of speed and barreled away, the woman waving and running after it. This is not the first time I've seen such behavior on the part of a bus driver. And I've definitely been in that woman's shoes! I felt so sorry for her that instead of going on my original mission, I drove around the block to drive past the bus stop again; she was still there, on the phone. I pulled over into the bus recess and motioned her to come to the window. She did. I told her I'd seen what had happened and asked if she'd like a lift. At first, she was a little hesitant - as we all would be if some stranger pulled up and offered a ride. But I told her I'd experienced the same, and had time on my hands. She saw I was harmless and accepted my offer with gratitude. She'd already been waiting a half hour when the bus did its drive-by and her destination (Mosfellsbae) was far away (about a 25 minute drive, I guess, with umpteen round-a-bouts which tend to make me dizzy). Chances are she'd have had to wait another hour for another bus. Totally frustrating! She called the bus office and the lady on the phone said the bus driver had told her the bus was full. I say: balderdash!! I was right behind it and that bus was anything but full! My young passenger, Helga, had just gotten back from Rome where she was studying clothing and shoe design. She was interesting to talk with and the drive seemed short as a consequence. Turned out she lived (and had lived all her life) next to Reykjalundur, a rehabilitation hospital that I went to long ago. We met the totally empty bus just at the turnoff to the hospital; she took down the bus number. Anyhow, when I dropped her off, she reiterated her thanks and her determination to call the bus office again and give them 'what for'! I doubt it'll do any good; it didn't when I complained. But at least she will have tried. And getting home as quickly as she did, maybe her day won't have been spoiled by that arrogant lazy bus driver. At least that's my hope. I continued on to Ikea, but this time I brought my cane with me. I still didn't walk the whole circle inside the warehouse, but the part I did walk was made bearable by having the cane's support. Then I peeked in a toy store and also bought groceries before coming home. All in all, not a bad start to the day: bearable exercise (except for getting in and out of the car) and aiding a stranded wayfarer made mine. :) [ permanent url ] [ ]

Tue 26 May 2009: New pictures :) 2009-05-26 13:24 For those of you who are interested (and have the password), I put new pictures on my site. You'll find them in 'May'. Enjoy. :) More to come... [ permanent url ] [ ]

Sun 24 May 2009: Soley and Lunch! :) 2009-05-24 22:54 Today was packed and interesting. First of all, Thorbjorg's older daughter, Soley, turned 6 today! Til hamingju með afmælið, Sóley!! Her mom and dad and grandmother worked hard to give her a birthday party; and her grandpa hopefully made in back to Akureyri in time to wish her a happy day before she fell asleep. Here in Reykjavik we held our own party, after a fashion. :) Nina called and had an interesting idea: to join forces and hold a joint luncheon for family members. She took care of the lunch main course - more about that later - and I provided house room, dishes and dessert. It had to be held today at noon for several reasons, not least because Oli was driving back to Akureyri this afternoon to see his granddaughter, Soley. Now to backtrack just a little: yesterday, Joi invited all his brothers to go fishing with him on his boat. Then Frida, who was also in town, called and proclaimed her interest, so it ended up all 6 went and came back with loads of fresh fish, mostly cod, but a little haddock, too. Joi and Oli let the beginners do the fishing; they handled cleaning the caught fish afterwards. When Einar and Oli (who had been staying with us) came home with loads of fish, they immediately took it to the kitchen area downstairs and closed the door between. I was glad for the smell was VERY FISHY. hehe They got home in time for Einar to get ready for his next activity: a turning-50 party of one of his walk group. So while he got ready, Oli and I ate dinner. Then, after a short break, and after Einar had left, Oli went downstairs and finished cleaning and bagging the fish. Joi came briefly and picked up some of the fish and took it home... where Nina turned it into a very nice fish stew, which became our lunch today. :) She also baked fresh bread and rolls - a perfect combo! And boy was it scarfed! Two huge pots were finished off in nothing flat! :) Then I brought out pineapple cake (with cream cheese frosting), brownies, and a huge fresh fruit salad. The latter two were finished off pretty quickly and almost half of the pineapple cake. :) A VERY NICE SURPRISE was the presence of Kjartan! Oli went to visit him and ended up bringing him back to join us all. :) Very nice! All the brothers were present. And Kári (Óttar's son), Bjartur, Fanney and Linda Elín represented the youngest generation. Fun! Pictures were taken and will be shared in time. :) The house is now put back together, the last load of dishes is swishing itself clean, Einar and I have both had refreshing naps, and the day is drawing to a close. Tomorrow, Bjartur starts getting to know his new babysitter - not my purview any longer, at least not on a regular basis. :( Well, I guess we'll see him when we see him. :) And, Bjartur will get used to being around other youngsters. Tomorrow I will ready the downstairs for our next guest. Ella and Oli's daughter, Maria will be driving south on Tuesday. I have no idea how long their visit will be, but it will be fun to see them. :) Our patio now hosts new summer flowers and chair and glider. Not a bad first view into the house. :) I think that's enough for now, don't you? Haha [ permanent url ] [ ]

Fri 22 May 2009: More Guests! :) 2009-05-22 11:39 Yesterday, Einar and I worked on the patio some more. Einar also cleaned the leaves out of the gutters and under the grate while I cleaned the steps down to the backyard and also by the back door. The day was beautiful: sunny and warm. :) Just as we finished, Brynja and Bjartur came to visit. We all went into the backyard to chat and let Bjartur explore the grass and moss. He was VERY happy. :) When they left to go visit Auntie Lora and Great grandpa Kjartan, I raced to the flower shop to buy a few plants for our patio planters. (I have yet to plant them, but the hanging plant is up.) By the time I got back (and I didn't dawdle), Oli and Stina had arrived. :) It was tea time, so we shared some beverages and grapes and crackers while we chatted. Then our guests left to visit with Kjartan. Brynja, Hinrik and Bjartur joined Oli, Stina, Einar and me for dinner. I had baked fish and vegies, with brown rice and a huge salad on the side. Bjartur went crazy about the cooked vegies - didn't want anything else! But those he really scarfed. :) After the young parents had gone to put Bjartur to bed - he was sooo tired - I cleaned up the kitchen and then had to retire to my beanbag - I was beat! The others stayed up to talk awhile. This morning there was a family meeting with Kjartan's new doctor. Einar recorded the meeting on his computer as not everyone could be present. Meanwhile, I babysat Bjartur for the last time; next week, he starts going to his regular babysitter. Bjartur will be one of 5 kids that the woman cares for each day. Once Bjartur has become accustomed to going there, he will be there about 6 hours, 5 days a week. (This is good practice for when they all move to London; he'll be in all-day care then while Brynja is in class each day.) Bjartur seems to enjoy being around other kids; he is becoming very sociable. Stina flew back to Akureyri this morning, about the same time as the meeting was to begin. She is going to help Þorbjorg get ready for little Soley's 6 year old birthday party on Sunday. :) It was fun to see Stina. And she told me that she'd be back the middle of June (her birthday and Iceland's Indpendence Day) which will be fun. :) The apartment they'll be staying in for a week is right next to where we used to live, about a 15 minute leisurely walk from our current address. Yay! Meanwhile, Oli will stay with us through Sunday. Ottar and his wife Hanna and their youngest child (who is 10 days younger than Bjartur) arrived late last night from Denmark. It will be fun to see little Kari and Bjartur together. :) Today we have somewhat cooler weather with intermittent rain showers, and a breeze. That's okay - just makes us appreciate the warmer, sunny days all the more. :) And really we have no cause to complain. After all it is still May! Often we've had snow and temps close to freezing during May. Instead, this year our summer seems to have started early. Fun! Time to be off to the store. I've some groceries to buy. Have a nice day, my friends! [ permanent url ] [ ]

Tue 19 May 2009: Woes of a foreigner 2009-05-19 22:08 Yesterday while innocently sitting on the bench on the patio, enjoying the sunshine and reading a book, I felt happy and content. A couple of school girls approached along the path by our house. They were nonchalantly chatting away. I didn't pay them much mind - until one of them chucked an empty drink bottle into our yard. They didn't see me until they'd taken a couple of steps further onto our street. I harrumphed loudly to get their attention and, in Icelandic, asked her to pick up her trash. One of her arms was in a cast. She sighed, but did climb through the brush and picked up the bottle. Then she asked why I didn't learn Icelandic. When I'm upset, my vocabulary becomes very limited, and my accent very strong. Therefore, I replied in English and reiterated what I'd said before, that this was my home, not a trash dump. In effect, she ruined my day and my mood. What I wanted to say to her was that I knew more Icelandic than she did manners. But I was so upset that it took the rest of the afternoon before I could remember the word for manners! As a result, I felt very much a foreigner in a strange land, and one who's home and peace of mind had been broached and trampled upon. Neither is a nice feeling. Unfortunately, the feeling lasts. It makes me want to go home to where people can understand me and I can express myself, whether upset or not. It doesn't matter that I have lived here most of my adult life. It doesn't matter that I am a citizen. It doesn't matter that we've raised our family here. What it comes down to is that I am and always will be a foreigner, and some native Icelanders feel free to be disrespectful of me for no other reason than that. I shall always be here on sufferance, tolerated but never quite accepted. And at times such as these, I bemoan the fact that my own family is so very far away. I shall always be a square peg trying her hardest to fit into a round hole. And it always makes me wonder and ask myself if it is worth it. The answer changes with circumstances. How sad. Life can be very hard. I know that I should be able to just brush this off - be a duck, in other words. But the feeling runs too deep. And it is not the first time I've been treated so. Each successive event, though the times between are long, reinforces the hurt and just makes me cringe and want to go somewhere else, somewhere where I can be me and be treated respectfully and like a human being, not some sub-species, i.e. a foreigner. [ permanent url ] [ ]