Book...

   Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, 1859-1952, was the one who pioneered stream of consciousness novels. He received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1920. Now,  Norwegian author, Ingvild Rishoi, follows in Hamsun's tradition.

   She's much acclaimed for her novel, Brightly Shining. But, it's her book of three short stories about which I write. Winter Stories, published in 1914 and translated into English in 2019. The protagonists in these stories, as is true in Hamsun's books, are struggling. A blurb on the book jackets mention that it "contains the right combination of hardship and hope. Struggle is a given with surprising turns of unexpected goodness. Rishoi creates sympathetic characters living on the fringe of society. One more author in Norway's robust literary life.

Takk for alt,

Al

  

Side Benefit!

      Perhaps both of my readers have tumbled to the idea that there are benefits to being an inmate of the OFH. Yes, there are!  Today it was the perk of an in-house, Good Friday Service. That was offered at 10:00 this morning. Afterwards four of use adjourned to the bistro for an early lunch.

   There is a side benefit to the morning Good Friday Service. Tonight four NCAA women's teams are playing in the Final Four at the time of many Good Friday services.  UConn will play South Caroline in the first game, which begins at 6:00 local time. At 8:30 UCLA will play Texas. That may make me violate my usual bed time! These should be classic and any team could emerge a winner. The winners tonight play for the championship Sunday.

Takk for alt,

Al

The church of The Spilled Blood, St Petersburg, Russia.  Is this random enough?😀

Convenient!

      The family is returning today from University visits in Chicago and Milwaukee. The pick-up at Union Depot is scheduled for 6:41 and the train left Milwaukee on time so likely will not be late. The Maundy Thursday Service at church begins at 7:00, so the time conflicts for me. Conveniently, the OFH Maundy Thursday Service was held this morning at 10:00, which I attended. 

   The Service time allowed for lunch in the bistro with Tom and Anita. Tom's a soup aficionado and the bistro always has two soup choices. A bowl of soup costs $4.00. Thursday is 'pizza by the slice day' and slices are $2.00, so, being a big spender, I had two. Anita said her chicken salad sandwich was excellent. The bistro is open 11:00-2:30, Monday-Friday. The dining room lunch special is also available in the bistro, minus the starter and dessert, for $9:00. A number of other offerings are also available.

   The food service of the OFH contributes much to my satisfaction living here. Every morning there's a continental breakfast in the bistro, the price of which is included in our rent. The dining room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's a service that I often use to entertain family and friends. When I compare notes with inmates of other OFHs, they report that their dining facilities have minimal hours. With the exception of the continental brekfast all food charges are ala carte, which is helpful to me because I'm often away.

   If you're considering a move to an OFH be sure to check out the food service.

Takk for alt,

Al

Dinner last in the OFH. The woman to the viewer's left is MonaMae, who is 102.

Joanne Elizabeth (Hanson) Negstad; April 1, 1936-April 12, 2018

     While milestones. like Joanne's birthday, always come with some grief, grief ameliorates over time. Memories of her last birthday celebration are forefront. Joanne loved birthdays and in 2018, April 1, was Easter Sunday. That leads to the story I've often told. At the Easter Service, our congregation, sang happy birthday to her. Seeing the video of the congregation singing she remarked, "I never knew dying could be so glorious." Twelve days later she died. 

   It was on that day, Easter and birthday, she ate at table, for the last time. Subsequently, she was too weak to come to the table. What little she ate, she ate in her hospital bed.

  To a friend's query, "Does it feel like eight years?"  I responded, "I don't know what it feels like." At some point being single began to feel normal. Given her medical difficulties, aside from the fatal cancer, she would have struggled to live alone. Both physically and psychologically, introvert you know, I was better equipped to live alone.

   Every day I miss her and I talk to her pictures around the apratment. Grief is most poignant for me seeing our granddaughters grow and mature, knowing what she's missing. She took total delight in them. Many times, putting them to bed, I'd read to Evy and she to Sella. "Grandma I want seven books."

  She was wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She accomplished much in her professional career. Rest in peace, good and faithful servant.

Takk for alt,

Al

April 1, 2018, the family at the Easter/birthday dinner, Joanne's last meal at the table/

An Exception!

      Writing about Dad's camera I said he's not on the group pictures because he always took the pictures. In those childhood years I don't remember any of my uncles having a camera. Even my cousin, Leslie, my cousin who was old enough to be father, didn't even had one. Dad's camera model was sold between 1912-1915, so he was an earlier purchaser. 

     There is one photo of dad with his four children. Mother must have been the photographer. It's taken outside and it looks like we've brought dad a lunch in the field. He's eating a sandwich and, because there are trees in the picture, my guess is he was mowing.  The picture is below.

Takk for alt,

Al

Behind Dad from the viewers left, and I'm guessing at ages; Allan 3, David 5, Lucille 9 and Richard 7.

An Old Book!

    To A God Unknown, John Steinbeck was given to me by Peter. Lars' fascination with Steinbeck, in an earlier phase of his life, means that there's almost a complete library of  Steinbeck's books in The Little House. Familiar with his better know books; Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Of Mice And Men...Unknown was unknown to me. It's one of his earlies, published in 1935.

    Perhaps the best part of the book was his colorful, imaginative descriptions of the natural features of a California valley. Joseph, the protagonist was either mystically able to influence nature or psychotic...take your pick. Druid's would love the book and its revolution around an iconic oak tree. Steinbeck weaves in Indian and Mexican lore with sympathy.

  It was worth reading and I look forward to discussing it with Peter tomorrow. It also suggests that I should read some of those Steinbeck books reposing in The Little House.

Takk for alt,

Al

Barn Cats!

      The farm of my childhood usually had a contingent of barn cats. They lived in the barn because Dad would not tolerate them in the vicinity of the house. For the most part they were quite tame. They'd quickly adapt if we squirted milk at them while we were milking the cows.  They'd open their mouths and lap the milk. After separating the cream from the milk we'd give them some milk. There was a small room that held the cream separator and there was space under it that they occupied. In the coldest days of winter the milk cows were left inside overnight. Their body heat was sufficient to keep the temperature in the barn above freezing. 

   Once a disease decimated the cat population and they all died; distemper maybe. When the cats were gone mice appeared. Mice were seen throughout the barn. When the cats are gone the mice will play. This was a revelation, we'd never realized the role the cats played in managing the rodents.

   One summer night I decided to sleep in the haymow. Sleeping on the new hay was very comfortable and I slept well, until.....  Until, early in the morning cats chased grasshoppers over me. No need for an alarm clock. Dad went to the haymow early one morning a found a man sleeping there. He'd wandered up from U.S. Highway 81, that ran just below our place.

   Then, there's the well travelled cat. Uncle Henry and Aunt Inga lived across the road from us. Uncle Alfred and Aunt Ragna lived twelve miles away. Ragna needed a cat so Inga gave her one. Alfred put the cat in a burlap bag and placed the bag in the trunk of their car for the ride to Ragna's place. It disappeared from Ragna's in a day or two. Two weeks later it arrived back at Inga's. There it stayed.

Takk for alt,

Al

Negstad cousins, children and spouses in front of our farm house.