News break

Which would be a break for me, from reading the news. Life is great as a student. Time alone, sun streaming through the windows, piles of books, articles, adventure and opinion just waiting.

Children running around at kindergarten and husband at work.

Important tip and this months One Small Change for the benefit of ourselves, our environment and those around us: The Washing Nuts.

Here is a link for you Norwegians on where to buy them. They are good for the environment, good for your skin, for your clothes. Everything. And they are cheap, fair trade, organic, and they WORK. Believe me, I just washed a load of BAD cloth diapers. They are clean: smell clean, look clean, feel clean.

It is a small nut from India and Nepal, the shells contain saponin, which turns into soap when in contact with warm water, Been used for eons as natural soap.

Never again will I use chemical substances for washing anything. Totally unnecessary.

Give it a try, you have nothing to lose.

Beautiful Lebanese singer/ songwriter

I was lucky enough to experience beautiful Youmna Saba twice while I was in Beirut.

She is wonderful. Lyrics in Arabic of course, but just listen!

Here is a link to a few songs.

I have not been able to find a legal way to purchase her music online yet. She will be releasing a full length album hopefully this autumn. You could always use the illegal version and send her $10...

Simple Sunday

July's painting in our birthday calendar, by Ruth Elsassar.

Constantly drying woolies.

Say no more.

Summer days are longer then others. And they are crammed, packed, full with what and where and packing- unpacking. Beach, mountain, walk, picnic, snacks, coffee, tea, rain, boots, sandals. The weather is shifting, but warm. Been alone with the kids since Wednesday, and am getting into the routine, the meal planning, the songs, and the clothes, the laundry and the washing up.

Today we had second breakfast up in the woods, in the rain. We all came home drenched. Did not help they all decided to go wading in the lake with there clothes on. Their boots were NOT waterproof when the water levels reached their armpits, and flowed down the insides of their rain pants.

We had lunch outside in the garden with homemade soup and bread. Then, after watercolour painting and miscellaneous catastrophes, we ended up heading down to the beach at 4pm, the sun beating down, and went swimming. Back to make dinner, falafel with all the extras, and then off to bath, story, bed. Well, that is our days.

There are small things in our environment that are vital components of our day worth mentioning. The play silks are always in use, everywhere-all the time. The bird feeders we have hanging outside are a frequent focus, and conversation topic. Jasmin is an avid and genius, Memory -game player (the one where you find two of the same). She gets me to play all the time. I tell myself it is good brain food for me as well.

Birthday breakfast, with our birthday ring, and main gift wrapped in 5 silks, to be taken off one by one.

My little girl has reminded once and for all how old I am getting. She turned 5 in July, spent a wonderful morning eating breakfast outside with Farfar (Anders' dad) and Bente. Hard to fathom at some times. Other times, when she is arguing her point to her mother, I believe it.

The greatest change in our lives at the moment starts tomorrow. Jasmin will be switching to the outdoors- kindergarten here where we live. All 5 year olds, running around outside all day, based in a lavvo (a Norwegian tee-pee) if it rains. It will great for her. She has never been the ultimate sit-still-and draw-girl. She does, but would rather rough-house, and run up a trail.

The little ones will starting kindergarten too, three days a week, so I can finish my degree before it gets outdated (or I do...). I am excited for them, but already dread the moments I will miss out on, the small ow's I will not be able to blow on, and the smiles that will be gone to the wind. I am happy for myself too, seems like a vacation at the moment, the thought of NO kids, just ME, and books, papers, lunch and my Mac. I know things will look different as the deadline creeps up, but for now, all is joy.

Lea and farfar.

The whites beaches of Denmark. And crawly kids.

Anders and I planned LAST summer we were going to both get a kite surfing course this summer. That was our adrenalin ration for the year. When we lost the house and was dragged through the insurance this winter, we decided to post bone it, till we had time AND money. (Well, truth be, Anders is taking a weekend course this COMING weekend, so we have one down...) Anyway, second best was slack lining. Anders bought a small set-up, and we practised as we travelled around Denmark. Super fun, and easy to learn. And children get it quite quick.

Furoshiki

I was surfing around on the www. after seeing a great picture of someone carrying a cloth bag, made out of 1 piece of cloth. I found lo-and-behold a blog on nondisposable living. She was an avid user of the Japanese Furoshiki technique. Found a couple small youtube tutorials too. Good for picnics, food shopping, gift wrapping and handbags. You can use any material, old bedsheets or fancy silks. Amazing, and incredibly eco-friendly, aesthetic and almost like origami...! Here is a quick how-to-sew. A wonderful move towards no plastic, and less garbage. The japanese are always so elegant.

Well, I am off to try on the kids playsilks.

Books and Birthday

I have a box high up on a shelf. A rainy day/ crisis box, of toys, books and things I do not like standing out, things we have too many of, or simply items to save for- a rainy day. A couple of days ago they all went into a whine. Hard to know why, but at any rate, I scooped out the books, plopped them all in living room area, and they were happy. I especially loved these two reading two each other. Communicating. Wonderful. The book is by R. Scarry by the way. The pictures they seem to like more than I do... Well, it will be back up on the shelf soon.

We have been cooking a lot lately, all sorts. But wanted to highlight once again an exciting book we are using. A lot of fusion, and new tastes, lots of veggies and lots of produce you simply cannot get here. Exciting. For example a simple LotusLandLinguine with crunchy woked vegetables and the simplest, tastiest peanut sauce I have ever had.

AND i had a birthday a few weeks ago. And received this wonderful old and functional! (adjustable from espresso ground to Bodum grind!) coffee grinder from Anders. We have cut back on coffee, for the best. Now we splurge on weekends, and go for quality cortados. And the grinder was just as much for kids as for me. The grinding is a great activity. Also for grain for breads.

News and days

One month, that must be the limit. I have had this demarcation date in the back of my head now for days. Time flies when you are having fun, or simply extremely busy, all the same, time is all relevant, and "everydayness" and evening work has all been non- pleasure, all business.

The most important time consumer for me has been being accepted to quite a substantial seminar in Beirut in June, requiring intense read ups, and language buffering. I planned on going down in June no matter what, to do fieldwork, and when I was accepted it all sort of materialized. I am really excited about going. Really, it has been a year since last time, but still all too soon, to leave these wonderful kids, and my beautiful hubby. 17 days is a long time, a long time to be away, not just that they will forget me, but what I will miss out on. Like today, an everyday at home, involving Whitsun dove mobiles, baking lemon/ poppy seed cake for Noa's dolls birthday afternoon tea, laundry and gardening.

Noa conquered his Early Rider.

Walks in the woods. The twins are old enough to walk!! Without a buggy, and without one single beg or whine, this trip was about almost 2km one-way.

Strawberry season is up in Belgium. They are down to $4 for a box. Which is cheep. We invested in a quality blender a few weeks ago, and are now smoothie-ed out, on all the berries and spirulina. And coconut, pineapple, sesames, dates, and so on and so forth. At any rate, the difference between female and male hand-and-eye coordination revealed itself, with Lea handling the knife with dad.

Noa pretended to be participating... while sneak eating.

No strawberries in my cheeks, dad!

Will be back with more, asap. Good night.

Blog-Award stafett

Takk til Tonje for dennne lille utfordringen.

Det ser ut som om jeg må fortelle noen små sannheter om meg selv:

Hmmmm...

1. Jeg er i gang med en sakte kostholds omlegging i familien, men klarer neppe å si fra meg en hjemmelaget Cortado om dagen. Eller to...

2. Vi har ikke TV, men må si at vi ser det siste av det siste av Desperate Housewives, og Lost sesong 6 har nettop begynnt....Ulovlig nedlasting biter ikke så hardt...

3. Jeg er hektet på å lese internasjonale nyheter, blogger og ymse fra Midt-Østen daglig. En god motpol til livet hjemme med de små.

4. Jeg er i gang med 4 bøker samtidig på nattbordet.

5. Selv om jeg får lov å sove ut på en morgen, våkner jeg uforskammelig tidlig.

6. Har aldri tid til den der fantastiske yoga'en. Heldigvis starter Pilates i bygda på mandag!

7. Skulle ønske det fantes slike ull-nattdrakter fra Nøstebarn, MED fot, til voksne.

Kjenner ikke så mange andre bloggere, får se hvem jeg utfordrer videre.

Etsy.com

It seems life never ceases to suprise. Like finding the website: Etsy.
Imagine all this wonderful homemade goodness and art, all right there.
Check it out. I had no idea people were so crafty...
It is global too, everywhere. Buddha prints, felted dolls, hats, jewelry and beautiful handmade treasures.

Conflict Resolution

I work and study conflict resolution and peace keeping methods. I imerse myself in methods of negotiation and dialogue.
I feel somehow connected to the Buddhistic way and the sense of every daily event a chance for practice.
But still I can surprise my self with irritation. Up close.
In my search for advice, I went to Johan Galtungs book on the topic, which I highly recommend, but in the end I found the teachings of the Buddha had a beautiful verse which serves inspirational and remindful, of the lovely fellow human beings we are surrounded by.

The Skilled Person

Regard the person who sees your faults
as a revealer of treasures.
Associate with that skilled person
as one who is wise, who speaks reprovingly.
Keeping company with such a person,
things get better, not worse.

He should exhort, instruct,
and restrain you from poor behavior.
To the good he is endearing,
to the bad he is unpleasant.

He would not associate with harmful friends.
He would not associate with the lowest of people.
So, you should associate with encouraging friends;
you should associate with the best of people.

He who imbibes the teaching
rests happily, with a clear mind.
The skilled person delights always
in the way revealed by the noble ones.

Irrigators guide the water.
Fletchers shape the arrow shaft.
Carpenters shape wood.
The skilled tame themselves.

As a rock of single solid mass
cannot be moved by the wind,
so are the skilled unshaken
by praise and blame.

As a deep pond, clear, calm,
so do the skilled become serene,
having heard the teachings.

Good people stand apart everywhere.
The good do not initiate conversation
out of desire for enjoyment.
Touched now by pleasure, now by pain,
the skilled do not expose their highs and lows.

Neither for your own nor for anothers sake
should you wish for a son, wealth, or empire.
You should not wish for your own success
if acquired by improper means.
You should be virtuous, wise and honorable.

Few are those among the people
who cross to the other shore.
The rest of humanity just runs about
on the bank right here before us.

But those people who follow the way
when the teaching is well proclaimed
will go to the other shore.
The realm of death is so hard to traverse.

Having left the dark way,
the skilled person should cultivate the bright.
Coming from his home to no home,
in seclusion, where enjoyment is hard to find,
there he should hope for delight.
Having forsaken all desires, possessing nothing,
the skilled person should cleanse himself
of the afflictions of his mind.

Those whose minds are well trained
in the factors of full awakening
who delight, without clinging,
in the renunciation of grasping-
such bright ones, impulses destroyed,
are, in this very world, unbound.

-The Dhammapada (Teachings of the Buddha)

Lanterns

We love hot air balloons, ordered from China through e-bay.
And we send up every chance we get.
Every week.
Magic.

Back from southern Lebanon OR mom gone, kids have fun...

In a spur of the moment window of opportunity, I left Anders and the kids for an 11 day fieldwork in Lebanon. It was amazing, amazing because i had a great time, met incredible people and could justify my absence, amazing because Anders is the perfect father, has a great time, and everyone was happy. Amazing because it is possible to do such a thing even though we have so many children. This post is a few pictures from Anders life here at home and a few from Southern Lebanon. Beautiful area. Next time I want to take them all, swimming in the sea, delicious food, wonderful kind and adventurous people.

The Great Roman Hippodrome in Tyre, the biggest and most intact of it's kind. They filmed Ben Hur here, so I have been told. Will have to see it again to be sure.

Intense tour along the UNIFIL blue line. View to Israel. Will try to make a follow up post on this.
View of Beirut where i stayed with some fantastic couchsurfers.

Anders nature table. with blueberries.
Our windvane.
Tea party in the sandbox.

The best way to make sure you don't get wet feet in downfall rain. ducktape.

Finished!

I've delivered my paper for this term! Thank goodness it's over. All those nights of continuous bad conscious are done. Now I'm off till August.

If anyone is in need of a great news source for the middle east, check out mideastwire.com. You receive a full translation into English of the most important news and editorials around the Middle East every weekday right in your mail box. It is an invaluable resource for me. price is a little steep, but it's a small business run out of Beirut.

Well, back to the kids.