I write about dailylife, being creative, my faith, thoughts and challenges.
Author: miasimonesvenberg
Welcome to my blog. I am a creative young lady who comes from the northern part of Sweden and moved to Norway in 2007. This blog is about my dailylife, my faith, being creative in different ways, take challenges, share thoughts. I write to share, cause my heavenly Father told me so. And you SHARE to them around you. I mostly sew. Become a student this August-25, to become a teacher, so I'll share about that too. I love to inspire others. ..and I love coffee!
It’s Sunday and this weekend is the Open Sky (Åpen Himmel) . My first since I moved back in 2021. The weekend where we have toput Jesus in an other focus.
To get more encourage to search.
Psalm 42 :
Testimony from different people in Church that has been here this weekend;
How can we feel the longing of more of the Lord?
The scary part of not longing is the fact of ” that we rather following the society’s fashion and selfhelp ” and that is the opposite of what the Lord wants for us. The Lord want us to read or listen more to the word. He wants us to search different, to search with a longing for something new.
How can we as a Church stay awake in this time? Live close in prayer!
A picture of when the air around you isn’t good enough: A tent for one or two persons and it’s more than those persons. The air in the tent is too bad! You just want to open the zipper. And when you do,get out of the tent, you can breath the heavenly air.
➡️For me this uncommon service got to me through the theme they had as the decorations, the umbrellas in the ceiling, in combination of to search different and how we can use our creative gifts both for searching and exploring more of the Lord.
What I have in my head now on my way home (in the bus) is how can I be longing for more in my life? How can I whom already struggle to read the bible longing for more? And how can I implement that in my life? This is my questions. What are yours?
How can we improve more of God in our life so that our lifes get an other meaning? How can we improve our already so hectic life, that society forces us to have, and yet feel more from our Lord. This is something I am curious to try to have focus on.
I have started again to workouts at home and adding an app, the same app I had two years ago 😊. My goal is to build up my core muscles and be in a better shape to both have the strength and energy to actually go to a gym and do what I like, get a positive kick off and can afford now and that finally works for my coxxy after 1,5 years after the accident 😊.
I am so thankful that after 1,5 years of resting my coxxy I have got to the point where I can start exercising again. That is happiness for me. 😊
Saturday the 21st became an other really good day both with energy and with the weather. I woke up to a temperature of +13 degrees Celsius just before 9 am with a sun that was on the way up. No alarm clock that wanted my attention either 😊. The radio was sat on 09:15 am 😆, how could I know the night before that I wouldn’t sleep more than just the normal amount 😆 but I did. Six and a half hours that’s me, almost every night except if I am sick.
I had coffee and oats for breakfast, and was wondering while eating if I should rent a car or just check with a friend who lives nearby. I did call her and we helped each other.
Visiting 2ndhand stores to give away things we just needed to give away.
We drove to Sandnes, even though my though was to borrowing a car, so I could buy what I have been needed since I started my work this August. And plants for my terrace and household stuff that just become to much to bring back home alone 🤪😅!
Shopping in Sandnes.
After my efficiency in Sandnes we drove to Våland suburb in Stavanger, to a flea market in Våland school. Where I found and bought 3 paper collectors in wood, 2ndhand, 3 for 15 nok = bargain! And we met up with an other friend we have in common 😊.
I got home around 3 pm and the first thing I did after just putting everything I bought just inside my front door, was to plant the flowers in the empty pots 😊.
I sowed the seeds in july, they started to come up in mid august but still haven’t flowered.
Then I made a good strong cup of coffee 😊 and whileI I was waiting on it to finish I took a ice cold head shower to cool down my head 😊😆. And started to paint the paper collectors while I made dinner and a friend texted me.
Painting in the couch, with dinner in the oven. So I just had to turn on my fan and sit out on my terrace chill down 😆😆😅. Out there I finished painting my bargain ( of the 3 paper collectors ) and because we ha +20 ° Celsius at 7 pm, the paint dried fast 😊 and I could even paint-write the text for each collector.
… and all 3 for my sewingroom…
Some more resting in the couch (dizzyness and a light heatstroke 🤪) watching some telly before I had to go to the grocery store. And when I did, it was suddenlyfoggy!
And it wasn’t better when I walked back home 30 min later 😆😅 but cozy!
I literally didn’t see more than 20 meters ahead of me while walking 😆😅.
I tryed to take a picture of the Moon, a bit hard!It’s the same moon in different places along the way home. Past 10pm.
SILVER; My Birthday boy would have been 10 years today 💙🐈⬛🎉🎉🎉💙. And it’s been 5,5 months since I let him fall asleep and never wake up again 💙💞💔🐈⬛. Always loved. Always with me.
So thankful for the time I got with him 😍💞🐈⬛💙
Today’s pictures.
After work I managed to both do some grocery shopping and sew a bit while I made dinner 😊. Yet my brain is heavy and have a hard time to relax right now 😔.
On top of this I started my day with a doctor appointment 😊 for increased hotflushes and side effects 😔…
Luke 8, vers 22-39, two stories. Jesus do big things in those stories and in this text that he tell us about.
Where is your faith?
Proverbs 8, vers 13 – about what fear.
Thoughts from the text, Have you had the type of fear where you don’t know how to handle in a intense situation? Have you experienced something where you have had fear for Jesus? Have you hated Jesus any time?
Is this text the type of text that we need to melt on us? To understand the depth of it?
John 15 vers 9
What did this story hive me / you? Did you get more questions? Well you are not alone. Three questions to keep with you this coming week;
What relationship do I have with the fear of God?
Who in these stories do I recognize myself in?
How do these narratives best influence the choices I make and how I prioritize?
I woke up around 08.00am, had breakfast and Coffee, had packed to evening before after church. 10 am had we said we should leave from my house. Well, my friend Olav was late… not with much maybe 11 minutes.
We headed towards Ålgård a 30 minutes drive (28 km). Made a stop for some snacks for our hike. And then headed towards Kjeragbolten and Sirdal. 111 km and 2 hours of driving.
As closer we got as more sheep 🐑🐑🐑 we saw along, beside and on the road.
SIRDAL COUNTY.
At the parkinglot at Kjerag, I saw what kind of mountain I had in front of me. We started 1 pm.
The parkinglot. 1pm.
As I am I had to try at least, quite sure I would not make it all the way if this was the path all the way. Not with my knee (the right knee I had a surgery on in 2013 and still isn’t good after the blood cloth I had 9 weeks after). but I am stubborn and wanted to try. So I did.
Halfway on the first mountain 😊. Maybe 1:30 pm.
Halfway on the first mountain, took me actually not to much time 😊 to walk. I had to stop and breath maybe every 10 minutes. I am not in good shape! After the first mountain with stairs to help us up where it look like it was to hard to walk on the mountain itself . For me those stairs gave me more pain than actually walk on the mountain itself.
Still on the way up up up.
A try to show you some of the stairs.
I literally had to find my own path and walk on the side of those stairs and it was quite many of them 🤪😔.
But I did enjoy the view!
The fauna.
More fauna.
I past this sign with 1 km 😊.
At 1,2 km I stopped (14:17 o’clock ) and Olav continued to the goal.
I stopped at 1,2 km, walked down to the stream. Washed away some sweat in my face, cooling down my boiling head and ate some before I headed back towards the parkinglot.
On my way to the stream.
My place totally 😊😊.
This is what I had in front of me…
This was the path I used.
And this was after the top 🤪
This is how steep the mountain was to walk up or down 🤪. You could follow the chain but after so many turists walked that path it was almost slippery it was easier to find your own path to walk down.
More sheep’s among us people…
I had so much pain in both my knees that it took me one hour to walk back. But I did it 🤩🤩. I walked in total 2,4 km with pain 🤪😆😔🤩 a mixed feeling. But I do know that if I am gonna walk there again I have to build up my knees and body in a gym with combination of easier hikes.
We both managed to walk here. Here is Olav coming back around 17 pm.
He did it. And even if he said he would not climb up on the stone (Kjeragbolten itself) he did. I am proud of him, because he is scared of heights!
I found a spot to sit and watch all the people going up or coming down and the cute sheep’s for a good hour or more.
Happy being down 😊.
I really enjoyed to sit down and rest my body. This isn’t a hike for people with #badknees !
This stone (Kjeragbolten) is still a goal!
We left Kjeragbolten parkinglot 18:30 I think. Olav drove the first 304 km (40 minutes) because it was so many winding, with many sharp turns where there was literally no room for more than one car!
We even met to big trailers / lorries long and heavy going up the hill road while we drove down hill and in just one bend (!). Scary! I would not been able to be calm there!
Siridalen 1 – home to my place, 115 km.
He let me drive from Siridalen 1 all the way back home to my place, 115 km. That was nice of him. (But he did comment more than both my driving school teacher and the men I had private driving with before I got my license 😔.)
Luke 7:36-50 – about the sin and things that have a false or true value.
In Romans 3:19-20
Romans 3:19 NIV
[19] Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Romans 3:20 NIV
[20] Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Many Christians talkes behind other Christians, sadly, but it happens. We need to build each other not the opposite! Are you willing to look in the mirror and see who you are before you criticizing other Christians?
Can you see in the text, that this woman is clean and forgiven?
Earlier in this text, we know she met with Jesus and was forgiven (we can read it and understand it through the text).
Vers 48: [48] Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
We are both sinners and been forgiven. We need to understand that we are free with Jesus.
Everything we been given from the Lord is grace. When we forgive those who has hurt us, Jesus wil help you and me to forgive myself and yourself. We will not be able to forgive and feel forgiveness if we don’t forgive ourselves. 💜✝️.
I don’t know if this notes gives any of you any meaning, but I am going to share it anyway.
Exploring the suburb Lervig with my friend, ex.college and kind of a bonus mother. We have wanted to go for a walk before. We tryed just before my holidays, that day the sky open up for rain 😆. Today we were more lucky! ⛅️ some sunshine and wind +19°C perfect! We walked a short version, a 40 min walk in the suburb of Lervig. Next to the seaside 😊. A suburb that before all new buildings wasn’t nice and didn’t have a good rumor 😔.
Love the architecture.
A suburb for me is a area that is growing and this area has really grown!! And it has started to grow on me 😊.
The first half is the path we walked and the second half back I walked from the grocery store Kiwi.
It’s nearly been a week since I got back from my holiday (July 22nd today).
After I’ve been home for two days I realised I really want to have a family around me. A husband with family. If it’s his growen kids or his siblings it doesn’t really matter as long as its family (person’s). It also means I litterly need to meet people every day, especially when I have a school break. Because when I work I always have people around me and my quote for the social part gets quite high but than when I don’t have a work to go to because it’s Summer, my quote goes down to fast 😔.
Anyway, I have been a bit creative yet not been sewing 😬🤪🙈.
On Saturday (20th) me and my 74 years old neighbour went to a plant store. I bought soil, orchid peat and basicpon to my flowers and 4 new plant pot’s in two sizes. Gave my outdoor plants and my aloe vera basicpon. And new seed soil and clay balls to my indoor flowers. And it looks like they liked it.
Painting a drawer which I’ll use as flower shelf.
Sunday 21st I finally managed to go to Church 😊 on my way I walked on my favourite bridge which also is a roundabout for traffic under. The weather forecast said rain from morning to evening, but we were lucky to not have the rain until during the service. Met a close friend from Oslo after the service, I haven’t seen since I moved three years ago. (It feels like this summer is the summer for meeting up with friends I haven’t seen in too many years.)
My favourite bridge in Stavanger. Because of the colours!
It was raining after Church.
Painting…
This door haven’t I done much with for the past year.
Now I paint it with acrylic turquoise colour to figure out if this is the colour I want. And I think so. So until I can afford the reel paint this stays.
I still haven’t decided if I will have black or white edges 🤔. I guess it has to grow on me as everything else I do 😆.
I chose to paint this too. The furniture I don’t know what you call, but it’s mostly used as a writing table back in the day’s both with drawers and cupboards. And the turquoise colour pop’s more to the black than the red colour did.
Today, Monday 22nd, I haven’t done much 🙈. I have cleaning my mother’s sewing machine and I found a bulb that fit 😍 and giving the machine some oil. I have the luxury to own two sewing machines now. My mother’s sewing machine was made in 1953 and I think mu mother bought it in the 1960’s. So it’s been along quite long time! A good but heavy machine.
The best part with this machine is the sewing table 😍
I haven’t been sewing yet 🙈😆 but I will 😉.
Faith and Trusting the Lord. I still don’t know what or where I will work in August yet I have peace inside me for this autumn. I am Trusting the Lord and have faith he will guide my steps. He has already blessed me to be able pay a bit less next time I have to pay the rent 😍🙏✝️. I gave money to the missionary work my church, yesterday, they are doing in Thailand and trust that God will bless my money for how I will live and pay bills in August.
Thoughts for the future… one of them are if I should save up for a used car (becoming an adult in an other level). I know I need a job to be able to save up money – to realistic brain to think otherwise. I have been looking at job’s but nothing so far fit’s me 🙈😔.
Finally on the 🚆 night train with the end station Stavanger 😍 tomorrow morning July 18th. A distance of 550 km along the coast.
I hope I’ll be able to sleep more on this train then I did going on holiday. 🤞.
00:18 am good night for now.
Tired!
Somewhere along the way (trail)
A waterfall in the mountains.
I woke up because it was light outside, 05:27 am. But managed to sleep more.
Just woke up, 06:55 am, good morning!
Stavanger 07:14 am 😍.
Got home approxy 07:55 am the 18th.
For some reason I can’t just walk into my appointment when I arrive 😆😆 , I always check my flowers.
Now coffee and breakfast… 😆
And unpacking, watering my indoor flowers, do laundry and relax. It’s so nice to be back home!
Those two days of traveling was and became shorter in time, more direct even though I was blessed with space between the stop. I think I used 16,6 hours compared to when I went to Sweden when it took more than 21 hours.
My goal with those posts from my holiday is to inspire you who read to explore places/ a country you kind of know but travel different to how you normally do it 😉. Have faith in the Lord that he will open up the right doors for you along the way you travel.
My day started 08.00 am when I couldn’t sleep more. Made coffee and placed the clean kitchen things from the dishwasher where it belonging. Had breakfast outside while it was raining 😊, very cozy!
Got packed into the car and a 25 min drive,by my brother, to Borlänge. Where I had to try my bank again while my brother and my nephew got on the train towards Danmark.
Finally done with the bank, yet not totally finished with them 🤪🤬. Walked fast to catch up with my sister-in-law and my backpacker (600 meters).
Had some waiting at the train station in Borlänge (an hour). 14:06 pm I found a seat in the train (the train departure time 14:40 pm). Took the elevator the coolest I’ve seen in a long time! )
On the train it started to rain after one train stop.
We will arrive Kristinehamn 17:05 pm and then the next train departure 17:51 pm.
The train station.
Dinner from a gas station.
Bye bye Kristinehamn for this time.
The first travel way…
Next stop Oslo, Norway. Arriving time shall be 21:24 pm lucky me we arrived 22:15 pm 😍😍😍 happy happy happy! And even more lucky that the train arrived on track 15 so I didn’t need to stress walk through the train station 😊😅.
Waiting on the bus-for-train, 21:33 pm. 🌡+19°C totally okay.
Platform 30 and 31 is for bus-for-train.
Have managed it so far only 550 km left to drag the sewing machine with me 🤪.
On the bus-for-train 22:00 pm – 23:11 pm and 23:43 pm is the departure time for the night train home to Stavanger.
Dala hästen/ the Dala horse is original orange with a special flower design & the symbol of Dalarna county.
The goal for today was four things.
The first thing was to try to fix my Swedish bank account, it went kind of good but not totally 🤪🤐🤬.
Thesecond was to try to open up a new account in an other bank. That didn’t go as planned 🤬. Back to square one 🤬.
The third thing was to meet my childhood best friend Annica and spend time with her. Catch up the last & past ten years. That went well 😊.
We have been friends since I was 9 y.o. and she was 7 y.o. And even if we now live here (she in Dalarna) & there (me in Rogaland, Norway) we are best friends.
After the coffee and before the walk I had to find a backpacker for my trip back home. My suitcase was a bit broken even before I started 😆 and now I leave it behind and hoping it will be through away.
I am happy with a new backpacker, it’s an 65 liter and the one I have at home is 60 liter. (1 liter = 0,26 gal (U.S.)
Walking in streets I’ve walked many times before…
Barbrosgränd. A tipical street in Falun. A street with mixed styles on the houses. I love this area and suburb.
Faluån.
The north side of Falun city.
Faluån.
Just beautiful flowers!
After the walk and because the temperature got warmer we went for Ice cream together 😋. I chose Safron and Annica went for Pear and vanilla.
Got back to my families house and it felt like I was sweated, but I can’t. So resting my foot a bit and then took I my very last dip and short swim in Runn (the lake here).
Time for packing and making dinner with my niece 😊.
The suitcase will be through’d away.
I had to re-pack it twice (the second time was 01am) to fit every thing I brought here & bought to bring back home.
Is it possible to live like Jesus wanted, today and alone?
Romans 12:4-10 – how we are breches to work with each other in this tree (verse 5)
If someone asks to hlp you and you respond “no I don’t need your help ” – this is a mirror of our society. A sad picture but in so many ways the hard truth.
If we take football as an example (mostly because it’s right now are football games) those who play football play as a team and work together and practice on what they all already are good at – we all need each other to be able to how we live as Christians and if we can follow Jesus and live alone.
We were made for something bigger than to earn a lot of money! What is the goal for the Churches?
First Peter 4:10-11 – The love we receive from the lord.
(John 16:7 – about the Holy Spirit. Our guide, our helper when we pray, )
Say Yes to help from those you have around you, where you live.
This morning started with the normal coffee and breakfast. And to drive with a rental car (spaceship) from Falun
09:40 am.
Between Rättvik and Mora went it slow! But forward.
I took a small break in a village called Garsås.
With the view over Siljan, the biggest lake in Dalarna country.
Continued to Mora and Orsa, drove the old road also called the turist road to be able to take a picture of the stunning view, but it was to much tree’s in the way to see anything 😔. And then towards to my father in Våmhus.
Våmhus.
In this area live my old father.
My only reason for this trip was to pick up my mother’s sewing machine 😆😊. Which is heavier than I remember 😆😅🤪. ( And this sewing machine will bring back to Norway 🤪 craziness!! )
My conclusion from this trip is that, it’s boring to drive alone! Even if I had the radio on.
It’s approxy 105 km one way from Falun to Våmhus, Mora.
Church of Våmhus.
Mora & Österdalälven or East Dalecarlia river.
Garsås, on the way back to Falun an other stop. 510km left to Falun.
When I arrived in the Bojsenburg suburb the sky opened up and the rain bounced off the asphalt.
Then I had about 35 minutes to leave the sewing machine with my brother and then drive and return the rental car.
Arriving from the North, left corner of this picture, on road 69.
I was back in Falun 4.31 pm and drove back the rental car and parked it and handed in the key 4:57 pm 😅. And then was the rain over 😊.
It feels like I have been driving much longer and much more than I actually have 😅😆. But I’m pleased with the day and even more I now ca breath normal 😆 .
Today I woke up 08.45 am was out of the place I mostly just sleep 10.10 am. Catch a citybus. Bought a protein shake with the taste of childhood ice cream 😆 pear and vanilla.
The temperature was now already +22 °C. Catched the next citybus towards my family.
Swimming with my niece. I would say the water temperature was around +20°C (the same lake as the day before).
Lake Runn July 13th, 12 pm.
Around 2.30 pm a friend of mine Ferdinand (that I got to know back in the time I lived here in 2002 – 2005) picked me up. We drove into the city centre to pick up an other friend before we drove to a place called Djurås – also a place I’ve lived. But we went to Ferdinand summer house.
Djurås, Överbacka.
5 pm, water temp around +21°C.
BBQ and swimming in a smaller lake, here was the water temp maybe +21 in the evening. Really nice!
Mattias and Ferdinand, my two friends from the time I lived in Falun 2002 – 2005.
To be able to enjoy visiting a city I have lived in, even if it’s more than twenty-three years ago (gosh is it that long time ago?!)? The time runs too fast!
Local city bus stop in Falun.
I went down to the city only to see if I could find a bikini top because I lost one already 🤪. I found two on sale 😍😍 in about 30 minutes.
Needed food b4 doing anything else 1.30 pm. Walked to MAX burger a Swedish burger brandsince 1968.
Ate and walked back to the bus hub.
Signs nearby the busstop near my brothers home, Falun.
Today’s temperature 🥵🤪, but perfect for swimming in the lake! Which was one of the first things I did when I got to my families house. And it was much warmer than yesterday (the 11th).
Water, coffee and fruit.
Between 3.30 pm and 6.30 pm I went down to the lake twice 😍. After dinner my oldest brother challenged me to learn the sup. So hard! And I am stubborn and I don’t give up easily! I did fall off and landed in the water 😆😆😆 but I didn’t give up!
Here 2nd try 😊
Gets better and better…
And I did it 😊.
I even managed to get around the “floating island” for the first time on a sup 😊😊 it’sapproxy 100 meters away from the beach. After I went for my third swim today.
It’s Wednesday the 10th. I enjoy it’s my first day of my holiday.
It’s 11:40ish and the temperature is +19°C some sun most clouds. Just perfect! My friends I am visiting are at work and I enjoying there house and garden 😊
My bonus-bonus babysister and me.
My bonus-bonus baby sister came visiting me while I was in Frövi. We haven’t seen each since 2018 because of corona and closed borders.
We did everything we could to spend time together 😊❤️.
My sister under the water😆😆.
Me in the water 😊
Coffee outside on the porch waiting on the thunderstorm 😊.
Table games – ticket to ride.
We spent approxy nine hours together, coffee, swimming, dinner and table games with my friends, before she had to drive back home.
July 11th;
I woke up 06:30 am just couldn’t sleep more. Coffee alone in the kitchen 😊 and a bit later breakfast and bought my tickets for today’s journey.
I didn’t have the peace in my body to sit and wait in my friends home … walked down to the train station and waited there instead.
Frövi train station. 10am.
This train is very nice and fresh!
10:43am, train railway issues… waiting on a station to go forward to the next station. I don’t mind I have a ticket for the bus but the bus departure time is not until 12:25 pm which I really hope I make. This train arrival time was expected to be 12:09 pm. Let’s hope we make it 🤞🙏. We arrived 12:40 pm still good time to catch a bus towards Falun 😊 after a short walk from the train station to the bus hub.
Geografic museum in Borlänge, Dalarna.
Walked 5 minutes from the train station in Borlänge to the bus hub and waited on bus 152 towards Falun 1:10 pm
In Falun it’s a tiny walk, straight ahead from the bus hub to the pedestrian street. I arrived 1:35 pm.
The start of the pedestrian street in Falun.
pedestrian street and the square nearest the bus hub.
Approxy 1:40 – 1:50 pm. In this square, in one one the shopping mall it’s a farmacy and there I was going to meet my friend (this friend, I got to know when I was living here back in 2001 – 2004). I am staying in her place despite the fact that she won’t be home this weekend 😆😆, approxy 1:50 pm I was picked up by my oldest brother and heading towards their home.
This is Lake Runn.
It was +18,9°C in the water/lake 😊. Swimming temperature 😊.
This view is Summer for me! I have spent many Summer holidays here when the kids (my niece and nephews) were small 💜😍. Now two of them are young adults and the third is a teenager. It’s here I love to swim and hang out 😍. And today it was them, a family of five, and my 2nd brother and his wife there too (they live in Trøndelag Norway). And later on this evening friends of one of my nephew came. On top of that my head started to ‘boil’ and spinning – to much impressions for me 😔🤪. The positive side is that I know I will sleep heavy tonight 😊
The holiday started with an accident while walking Saga 😔.
And instead of waiting to catch a city bus 9.15pm I choose to catch a bus 8.15pm so I could go to the farmacy and buy things to clean my sore elbows before my night train departure 10.15pm
On the train
Arriving Kristiansand approxy 01:45am and leaving about 02:15am.
Slept approxy 3,5 hours on the train 🤪. Wok up 06:03am. Out in the morning sunshine but chill morning!
A cool bus! (From one of the villages not to far from Stavanger)
Arriving Kongsberg 06:12am, here it was bus for train departure 06:19am. Now on the bus towards Oslo my first destination on this holiday.
The library of Oslo.
It’s a distance of 550km, from Stavanger to Oslo (north east).
A really good breakfast at the train station in Oslo with a friend from my church network from when I lived here.
Fancinated that it took me three years to get here again! After I moved away. And even if I am not really in Oslo, I just had breakfast and changed buses 😉 here. I’m here for a short while.
Off to Örebro, 4 hours drive with the bus and I am gonna sleep what I didn’t sleep on the night train! A distance of 340km east from Oslo.
The border of Norway – Sweden
Årjäng.
Karlstad.
Two more hours on the bus from Karlstad to arrive to my second destination (but first where I’ll stay for 48 hours) 15 hours later from when my journey began 🤪😆🙈.
I arrived 2:25pm toÖrebro. Been very careful with my elbows all this journey! Managed anyway to hit the right elbow 😔 and then I tryed to lock my suitcase in a locker but oh no that didn’t work 🤬🤬🤬. I have than the second time today been a customer to Espressohouse 😆😆.
This time a Chai latte and a very fiber rich sandwich. Even if the best for me after 17 hours of traveling would been propper food like a pizza, kebab or a burger. If it hadn’t been for my elbows 🙈 I wouldn’t care.
The very fiber rich sandwich actually worked 😊
But my journey isn’t done yet 🙈😆. I will meet with my friend I’m staying with 4:30 pm, catch the last train for today towards Frövi a smaller village 200km north of Örebro.
Örebro train station.
Örebro train station from track 4 where we waited for our train.
Frövi.
After dinner and catch up time with the family I visit (which I haven’t seen in ten years! ) we played some table games.
I have now throughing myself out there to be more outgoing and find new friends. Twice, two day’s in a row. And totally worth it!
I met two women yesterday (Thursday July 4th) that I probably will meet again for a chat over a coffee or similar. But it wasn’t contacting on how we are as personality or maybe it was hard to get to that level 🤔 when one of us spoke broken English and the other floating English and me also floating English. We didn’t got deep enough to explore hobbies.
Today (July 5th) I met Amber, just me and her talking. And we had the contacting 😊. We talked like we been knowing each other much longer! And we will stay in touch so that we can meet again as soon as the summer holidays are over and start to ‘hang’, talk or do things together 😊.
Thankful is was is left inside me right now.
I feel I have had lost my outgoing side of myself for the past years but I am getting closer to whom I once was 😊😊. This is promising! To challenge yourself can be so good for yourself!
Thankful to the Lord showing me what I need in life.
With an ex-colleague, she is also like an extra mother because she reminds me of my mother. We went for a walk, but when we actually started to walk it also started to rain like the sky just open up 😆😆😅😅. But we did walk! Approxy 4 km. And it’s a very long time since I was so wet after a walk 😆😆.
Home’n drying up before I heading out again a bit later to get to know some new ladies in Stavanger 😊😊
I just realised I don’t have close friends here in Stavanger. I kind of choose it when I started on my driving licence. And then have had a good job this last nine months 😊. A blessing job! But here I am, alone. And the only thing I have done so far is sewing. I haven’t taken the time to get in contact with anyone, haven’t forced myself to get to know any new people.
I have to do that!
Life should be more about get to know more people! I am an outgoing person and like to get to know new people, but I have been hiding myself. Not good!
It’s probably easy to release it in the evening when most people are at home… yet I will now start to look for new friends. Friends I can catch-up with over a coffee or just talk to. I don’t need many just some few knowing we have something in common 😉. If it’s through church or through other gatherings I guess we’ll see.
I am tired to be single and alone! Changes needs to be done!
So far (4 days) this week has been an eventful week!
First, Monday (24th) migraine and pasting the driving test.
Second, Tuesday (25th) did a super bargain on sale.
2 top’s for 60nok.
Thirdly, Wednesday (26th) could enjoy the temperature outdoors and painted the outdoors pots with colors my style 😊.
Acrylic colour.
It will hold as long as it holds 😊.
I have now those and six orange pot’s.
See in the background, the orange pot’s 😊. This went from gold to turquoise 😊.
Fourthly, Thursday (27th) on adventure with Saga the grand danios and Hilde (Saga’s mom), got migraine with auora again but this time I had it for a record time of 15 min! And around 6:30 pm went for this years first time dipped me in the sea! Also first time in three (!) years.
Freezing cold water!
Freezing cold water but perfect for me and my body after the top temperature of +28°C – the sudden heat we just got and you know me I just don’t cope above +15°C 😆.
The only thing I did after that was actually sewing 😆😆😊.
Just wanted to finish it. Not that I thought I would need one more 😆😆 but, I do need more than one bikini. Therefor will I sew a matching bikini buttom to this green top.
I started on this in 2020.
Wanted a bikini buttom that matched the bikini top. Here have I used what was ment to be a summer dress but I used it to sleep in during the summer.
I am between sizes, the sizes you find in the stores 🤪 . Their for it’s easier to sew something that fits my body. Their for adjustment is nessesary. Try it on my body to know it fits and I dislike to go shopping and trying things on.
I sew to challenges myself to become better but also offcourse to be able to have clothing that fits my tall body!
I found another bikini top 😆 and going to finish that too, but this one will have a twist 😊.
To be 6’2 ( or 189cm) doesn’t come with just happiness just because I am tall, as most people are jealous on. No it comes with a lot more challenges. We who are taller than 5’10 have the challenges to find clothes long enough or fit all the other curvers, weight, longer upper torso than legs or the opposite. Not something we find in a normal clothing store! (It is easier to be shorter because you can shorten clothes than make one item longer!)
Most of my tall friends buy clothes in online stores that has started their own business just because they never found clothes for their body or in online stores that has been approached to get clothes for tall people. I do too, mostly for Jeans and sweaters.
Sewing is not just a hobby for me, as many of my friends and students asks. No it’s more than that! It is mostly to be able to get clothes my style and learn to sew 🧵✂️my wardrobe 😊. But it also is to save the planet. If we sew, we can choose the fabric. Use what we already have and redesign it into upcycling or choose naturally fabric we know is good for the environment!
My challenge last week was to sew a bikini that fits my tall body. A challenge I took. And it took me six days to finish. I am pleased to finally feel good in a bikini that looks different and good on me.
Before I started.
This is the first step to find out what size I would need. A stretchy material but not good enough for swimsuit.
An old training top I haven’t used much.
An other traning top I only used few times.
Both training tops was perfect for upcycling and make the bikini buttom.
The process.
This is more for myself if I sew another 😊.
Finished bikini top.
Bikini buttom. And yes I wanted to have a higher edge infront.
Here you see I’ve used the fabric from the apricot colour top’s on both pieces.
This is the front side of the bikini buttom, just like I wanted them.
As you may know I am 6’2 and it is hard to buy clothes that actually fits my tall body! A bikini isn’t any difference. As the fashion is everything “shall be as little as possible ” well that doesn’t look good on all bodies!
And I am not super pleased with every curve I have, not uncommon for any woman around the world. Yet I have found my style and therefore I sew 😊. Exploring in different pattern that hopefully will fit me and also look good on my tall body 😊.
Hope you will be inspired by my sewing to challenge yourself 😉. Good luck! And thank you for reading my blog@
I was looking for a new bikini but didn’t find any good colour or size but I did found 2 top’s on sale 🤩. In perfect colour! And what did I think? Well, I can use those 2 top’s to sew my bikini 🤩🤩.
After this bargain on sale, I met a friend and celebrated with a dessert (read about it in the post’s Driving Licence part 1 – 7) down in the city.
My dessert My friend’s dessert.
And after that I bought a whole watermelon 🤩🤩, got home sewed a bit and while doing that a friend from my house church came by with a flower as a congratulations greeting
24th of June. It didn’t start good 😔 oh no it started with migraine with aurora 05:50 am. Took my medicine and ate breakfast. Texted my driving school teacher, to inform him. Did all I could to get it away. My goal was to do the very last mandatory driving test without migraine.
Catched the planned bus. Got to the driving school before meeting up time (06:58 am) as was 07:10 am.
Went through the car and all that I need to on what is what and where I found it.
Driving off to the traficstastion (where it all starts), drove some nessesary streets incase of if that’s where I would be driving with the sensor from the traficstastion.
I have to say, I have never before, been driving with my migraine medication. So this was wierd and I wouldn’t done it if it wasn’t because of today’s task!
The driving test itself is an hour long,and in three (3) parts.
When we got back an hour later, this very nice sensor, told me I had past. A bit of a chock! But a good chock! I have worked so hard for this in the end!
May 29th. Reflections from today’s driving. In total 36,11 km. Lot’s of practice on the feedback lately 😊. Driver with the L in the back of the car, for a good course. Driving with the thermoses of coffee also svela – a very Norwegian dish/ thicker pancake – around to the charity group during day 3 of Goodness Week in Stavanger.
Private driving Wednesday 29th of May, 3 hours in and around Stavanger.
Private driving 1st of June went much better even if I got lost and didn’t find the right road to drive off to the European motorway at once 🤪. But I managed to read all the signs without stress 😊, even the roundabout went fine today (even if I had lost of pain in my lower back). I am a bit worried that my back won’t be good enough for the next mandatory part 😔.
I am thankful for my neighbour lady (age 74 that dare to sit beside me and having Saga🐕 in the car, while I’m driving) and thankful for the protection from the Lord!
Stretching the back and let Saga 🐕 out for a small walk, in Ganddal my living place last year.
Private driving June 4th tunnel practice not so much about how to drive in a tunnel, no the focus was on where will I end up? So I could update my gps in my head. Unlucky I didn’t drive there at all the 7th when I had my 3rd mandatory part, 2nd driving over 2 hours. I had made a plan that would have worked perfectly with my brain but after half of the mandatory driving the teacher asked me how much time we had left – approxy half – so instead of driving where I in mind and be able to stop and eat a bit, the teacher forced me to change my plans, drop out of a break. I drove with the same teacher May 24th and than it was okay with breaks. I just don’t understand!
Sadly I now, since the last hour of the mandatory driving lesson, have fatigue symptoms. My ADHD doesn’t work well with driving more than 2 hours. I hope it is something I can practice on! But I can’t have a life with fatigue symptoms as soon as I am driving with someone. This driving school teacher also send me unconscious stress – which is the reason I now since approxy 1 am Friday the 7th have had fatigue symptoms 😔.
Just a picture of Stavanger.
Yet I have to be apart of the last mandatory part tomorrow Monday 10th of June, 3 pm. I feel like someone been driving over my head. And screens (laptop or smartphone) are less good than other things in life right now. Fatigue symptoms 😔.
Perfect weather for driving! June 22nd.
June 22nd. Today I have my last private driving. So today I am going to repeat things I know I can do better, poking on the driving in and around and out of a roundabout and get to know the suburb where the trafic station for the drive-up (or driving tests) starts.
Backed into the parking lot where it is always tight.
And what do I do? For the past years haven’t I done a thing 😔. I think I have been on one maybe two St.Hans bonfire during my soon 17 years in Norway. I totally miss my Swedish🇸🇪 traditions! Not all of it but a lot. And this midsummer I am nauseous 😔 been eating and drinking blueberry 🫐 which is the only thing that helps.
I went grocery shopping (just got home) and thought “why not at least buy some strawberry 🍓 as some kind of feeling of which day it is.
But it isn’t the same!
To be sick on such a big day and single isn’t fun! But at least I know it comes more 😉 and hopefully with a driving license 😊 in the future.
The Swedish 🇸🇪 traditions is herring, potatoes, family, schnapps (for those who like it), pick 7 different flowers, Midsummer dance with folk-dress, folk music, barbecue, bring in hay (for those who live further north, and Christian festivals.
The Norwegian 🇳🇴 traditions haven’t I got into yet. And I would say it’s a mix of that I don’t have a driving license and no Norwegian man or any Norwegian family whom has adopted me in to their family and traditions.
My midsummer 2024 is a sad mix of frozen pizza and blueberry and maybe strawberry…
mia-simone. svenberg 