...when one door opens

 

Many things came to a final this month.

 

Summer vacation!

Kids are finally out of school and no more driving 780 miles these next months-

relief

 

 

My mom came to visit us for a month

 always a highlight in my year to be with her

the neat thing is I don't have to wait to see her for another 6 mos

( Actually I am seeing her and my whole familia next month)

 

I am going home to

~ NORWAY ~

in July

It's been 19 years!

 

 

Something that has been a big cloud hanging over my head

since the beginning of the year is slowly coming to an end.

 

I was victim of check fraud.

 

 A local woman and 4 other accomplice had stolen my newly ordered box of checks from my mailbox.

We live in the country so the mailboxes are by the road.

 

They had helped themselves to all the checks and written out THOUSANDS of dollars

 that would have potentially ruined my credit and needless to say drained my account.

If it wasn't for the amazing ladies at the bank that helped refund my money.

 

 There have been numerous sheriffs here at the house

 been working with a detective for the past months

 

I have never felt so violated in my life!

 

She/they stole my identity- she had several id's with my name- and wrote checks to places locally where I would go shopping and fill gas.

 

The hard part is that they know where I live- they have my address.

 - Worried for my children

no longer do I feel really safe

 

They have now all been caught with possession of dangerous drugs

 and are  sitting in jail

 

 I will be subpoenaed this fall to testify in court

  Just wrote my statement and sent it off to the judge.

I am scared.

 

But I have to put my big girl pants on

and see this thru.

 

But even with this fresh hell

life goes on....

Needed to clear my head and my heart

and nature is just the elixir

Somehow the outdoors makes everything right
 a place to breathe and think

 

In other news....

Jules got his drivers license yesterday!

Can not believe my baby is driving.

 

 

I have had so many creative thoughts dancing in my head lately

nothing better than feeling inspired amidst all this turmoil

Craving peace and simplicity

 

and usually in those moments.....

 

 

 

are when doors open

 

...and I do see one opening !

 

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy"

Dalai Lama

love to all

 peace out - beansprout!

" Inbetween" days

We're half way thru February...and the weather is playing tricks on us. One day it's sunny, the winter  jackets come off and the aspens are budding  it seems as if spring is around the corner.  Today it snows. " Inbetween days"...as if the seasons can't make up their minds. These are days where we go for walks and come in from the grey and cold and have hot tea with honey, sit by the fire and read & play cards and wish for warmer days to come.

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”

Hal Borland   Happy Sunday.

Skiing in Glacier

 

 

We had a lovely weekend skiing in Glacier

in Norwegian you can say it was

"Eventyrlig"

which is hard to translate

....like a story book

 

Beautiful to explore the park in the stillness of winter.

 quiet.

 

The herd can enjoy a little peace from all the high speed

hustle & bustle of every day life.

Soft swooshing of the skis gliding across the snow

magical seeing the trees bowing over with snow

 the barrenness that a forest fire leaves behind

 

 

Our kids have been really sporty about x-country skiing-

(you don't see many kids out there in the park)

 

Many old timers stop and smile and give us a wink.

Sort of a "secret society" that these elders know about.

 and we share.

 

Skiing is good for all ages.

In Norway you say you are "born with skis on."

 

I can't thank my mother enough for taking me weekly night skiing

around Holmenkollen and Frognerseteren as a child each winter
and my grandfather patiently skiing with me on the frozen lakes in Sweden

showing me good technique.

 

These are beautiful memories that I relive when I ski today in America...in the park.

Maybe one day our children will pass on this wonderful winter sport
 and the memories they have skiing in Glacier park to their children....

 

 

 

Winter at Lake McDonald

 

A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. 
It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.

 

  ~Henry David Thoreau

 

Winter greetings from Montana

hope you are having a wonderful day!

xo

Going to the sun road

Summer has arrived in Montana...and so has more family from Norway.

I have been so lucky this year to have family come twice this summer to visit.

 This time, my aunt and uncle Odd & Gro.

Of course it is mandatory to show them our beautiful park so we loaded the kids and some lunch ...and our bathing suits in the car, crossing our fingers that the lake would be warm enough to swim in.

Can you believe it- I am standing on snow!

At 6600ft I feel like I am on top of the world.

Who could ask for anything more...

views forever, sunshine on my shoulders and breathing champagne air.

 Well, even with his Hawaiian shirt (dressed himself )

 fog horn lost his Aloha spirit and was done with this

 he wanted to go swimming!

Black rock beach. 

The water was awesome.

Guess who went swimming!

Beautiful day, we found the sun, snow, peaks and water....



Summertime when livin' is easy