Willow's Adventures

Two more days....

2008-10-05T09:23:00.004+02:00

Two people getting ready to take the next step into a common future. The white dress and the dark blue suit are waiting to make their owners beautiful, the flowers are being prepared, the guests are waiting in awe. The golden rings are shining so brightly, symbolizing eternity.

This celebration of love will mark a fantastic event in the lives of Tito and Willow.

Waiting...

2008-08-25T11:36:00.003+02:00

Nothing makes the time pass slowlier than waiting for that special someone.

Dreaming...

2008-08-23T07:35:00.000+02:00

Only Tito can make me smile like that.

Walking hand in hand

2008-07-06T18:14:00.003+02:00

Walking together with Tito hand in hand. Absorbing the beauty of the small handicraft village. A man with a donkey walking past us on the dirt road. A parrot greeting us from a nearby tree. The smell of tacos and fried banana. The sun kissing our skin, making it a little bit darker. Willow kissing Tito with an "I love you."

Swimming

2008-06-26T17:27:00.006+02:00

Deliciously clear, deep blue water. Moonfish, sunrays reflected in a beautiful multi-coloured coral reef. Tranquility. Air bubbles. Scubadivers holding hands in the Caribbean. Getting ready to go back on the shore for a feast of tropical fruits under the coconut trees.

There's nothing like a holiday for lovers.

Waking up

2008-06-23T17:18:00.000+02:00

I've been hibernating for so long. Autumn, winter, spring.... Finally it's time to wake up. I am in Titonia. Happy. Endlessly happy. Hugs, kisses, smiles. I'm home. Home is where Tito is.

Sleeping

2008-05-12T08:21:00.003+02:00

Dreaming peacefully with a smile on my face. Nothing is like coming home and sleeping in my old bed. Waking up. Familiar kitchen-noices. My mother is about to make a delicious breakfast. Will miss this tomorrow, when I go back to my other home.

A letter

2008-05-09T16:25:00.001+02:00

A much awaited letter. Dated on the 18th of April 2008. Arrived in the hands of its recipient on the 9th of May the same year. A letter about to change the lives considerably for at least two persons. Love is stronger than bureaucracy.

Early morning memory

2008-05-02T07:53:00.003+02:00

It's been raining all night. The air feels fresh and cool. On my way to work, something makes me think about my old teacher in religion. An eccentric lady indeed. She used to ride her bike a lot, and on rainy days she was riding it in a way that would make you think she'd had one or two martinis too many.

One day she gave us the explanation: she was only trying to avoid running over the rain worms having crawled onto the street in order to save themselves from a rather wet death. The lady was truly living by the motto: "Thou shalt not kill."

Wednesday night

2008-03-05T20:16:00.003+01:00

A glass or three of red wine in good company. I couldn't think of a better way to spend the night. Better than reading children's books, at least for a night. Thanks for inviting me, Ms. M. :-)

Unfortunate time-arrangement

2008-02-29T15:32:00.001+01:00

All of a sudden there is a day which doesn’t exist every year. Like if it went on a four year holiday, and then came back to say hello. I used to have a classmate who is born on the 29th of February, meaning she has lived four times less birthdays than the rest of us. Today will not be added to my monthly paycheck, because it’s a day that’s not supposed to be here. I’m actually working for free. Next time I find myself waking up to a day that doesn’t normally exist; I’ll consider staying in bed the entire day until a real day shows up.

Barely breathing - not dead yet

2008-02-10T13:45:00.001+01:00

I really do miss blogging. That's why I haven't deleted Willow's Adventures yet or proclaimed it dead. My blog used to give me a lot of joy. It was always somewhat thrilling to enter it to see if anyone had left me a comment.

Then I moved to a new placed. A new, temporary home. And there was no internet access. Being a temporary home, I decided not to invest in broadband. Six months later, I still live in my internet-free, temporary home.

So I go to work, on a Sunday, to use the connection there. In a permanent home, whenever that can be spoken of, there most certainly will be internet access and therefore also new adventures told by Willow.

Marathon

2007-09-29T11:31:00.001+02:00

Some people put on shorts, t-shirts and their worn-out snickers, and run out in the streets to join others in rat races. They become one with the masses of other people having the same focus – winning. As a librarian I’ve joined my own, personal rat race. Reading children’s books. I’m only competing with myself, and my playground is the library. Three books before breakfast I consider a good day.

Would you care for a biscotti?

2007-09-08T09:02:00.001+02:00

Juicy oranges, crunchy almonds, the taste of cinnamon, clover and cardamom mixed with the smell newly made coffee. It's Saturday and working day. Have a biscotti if you'd like to make a pause, forgetting your surroundings for just a moment.

The return

2007-09-05T16:51:00.001+02:00

Anji had no other choice than to send out a search party for Willow. What had happened to her? Why had no one heard anything from her in three months? Had a tropical fever got hold of her or had she simply refused to leave her beloved Tito’s side, cancelling her ticket home?

None of the alternatives above coincided with reality, although the last option would not have been altogether unlikely. There were several simple explanations to Willow’s disappearance from Willow’s Adventures (and none of them were because she was lacking new adventures to write about.)

Willow had made it back home. Tears in her eyes had welled out when separating from Tito over again, but she did her best to recover quickly. Luckily she had too much on her mind to let her temporal loss send her into any deep desespearation. In the mean time, Willow had become a real, live-and-flesh, librarian. She had even been offered a job surprisingly close to her idea of a dream job. Willow had moved to a new city where she knew no one. She had moved into a new home, which only lacked one very important thing in order to stay in touch with the outside world: An access to the Internet.

The fabulous library she worked at did however have an access to the Internet. It had just taken Willow more than a month to understand, that if she were to stay at work after hours, she needed some kind of nutrition stored in her drawer to avoid the panic hunger-attacks are know to cause.

Oatmeal biscuits combined with Anji’s search party has contributed to Willow’s return to civilization. It shall duly be known if anyone has noticed her disappearance.

Fly me to the moon......

2007-05-28T20:14:00.000+02:00

Gone to a better place (with Tito) until further notice. Just imagine 40 degrees, white sandy beaches, palmtrees and me relaxing in a hammock nipping to a coconut drink.

Happy Summer Holidays!

P.S. Blogging might be scarce for quite some time.

Questions produced by an overloaded mind

2007-05-25T14:55:00.000+02:00

Was that really it? Did I just hand in the final paper before the summer? Did I actually hand in the last paper the university is ever going to get from me? Does this mean I'm done? Have I really become a live flesh-and-blood librarian? Wow. Who wants to hire me?

A real treat

2007-05-24T14:05:00.001+02:00

Lying in bed for hours, watching the rain. The view consists of red brick roofs, nineteen chimneys and several treetops. Light green, green, dark green. The occasional helicopter and a few stray seagulls fly by. The sound that rain falling on window makes has a meditative effect. Breathing slowly, thinking about everything and nothing. The mind flows just like it wants to, without anyone noticing. The essay written on the computer has nearly been finished. Lying in bed watching the rain for hours.

Tears

2007-05-13T15:06:00.000+02:00

Tears. Melancholy. Missing the only person capable of filling her life with constant magic. Tears flowing down her left cheek. Her right cheek is dry.

The left eye is closest to the heart.

On the tube

2007-05-12T08:23:00.001+02:00

Two beautiful, fashionable teenage girls were entering the tube one late Friday night. They were chattering in Arabic about the party, new people they had met and hairstyles. The ride on the tube was also spent to change their clothes entirely, making sure not one strand of hair could be seen. As the sliding doors opened, they were already fully prepared to enter a different world.

Being part of the world

2007-05-10T21:45:00.000+02:00

There comes a time, when one has to move away. An era ends as a new one begins. It was under such circumstances I needed a place to stay for a night. I asked a very good friend of mine if it would be ok to crash on his sofa for a night, and he told me "sure, as long as there is no invasion in Burma." I never thought that the political situation in a far away country would ever have any influence on wether or not I would get a roof over my head for a night. That's when you feel that you are part of the world.

Mondays...

2007-05-07T08:00:00.000+02:00

There's something utterly demotivating about starting a Monday morning with an essay that has to be written. The weekend seems so far away, yet the date for handing the essay in seems a lot closer. This in spite that there are still three weeks to go.

Magnolias

2007-05-04T20:38:00.000+02:00

It was a sunny day in a garden resembling paradise. Couples were walking slowly around on narrow paths, enjoying themselves and the warm hand to hold. The bees were buzzing and the birds had been up since 5 o clock. There were colours, smells, silence. And there were beauty. "When we get married," the handsome young man said, "I want you to wear those." The young lady smiled at the beautiful pearls he had picked out for her. They were magnificent magnolias.

Librarians' must-read list

2007-05-01T20:07:00.000+02:00

The 30 books listed below are the ones that topped a World Book Day poll conducted by the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council in Great Britain, in which librarians around the country were asked the question, "Which book should every adult read before they die?"

Let's see what this future librarian has already read.

1. ~~To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee~~
2. The Bible
3. ~~The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien~~
4. ~~1984 by George Orwell~~
5. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
7. ~~Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen~~
8. ~~All Quite on the Western Front by E M Remarque~~
9. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman
10. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
11. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
12. ~~The Lord of the Flies by William Golding~~
13. ~~The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon~~
14. Tess of the D'urbevilles by Thomas Hardy
15. ~~Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne~~
16. ~~Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte~~
17. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham (waiting on my bookshelf)
18. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
19. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (waiting on my bookshelf)
20. ~~The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger~~
21. ~~The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold~~
22. ~~The Prophet by Khalil Gibran~~
23. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (waiting on my bookshelf)
24. ~~The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho~~
25. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
26. ~~Life of Pi by Yann Martel~~
27. Middlemarch by George Eliot
28. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
29. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
30. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzenhitsyn

14 out of 30. Not too shabby, I should say. Still there are a lot of good books to be read, both on the list and outside it. How did you do?

A love letter

2007-04-30T07:54:00.000+02:00

Love of my Life,

How could time pass so quickly? How could a co-existence of so many beautiful moments possibly be continued when we are no longer in the same place? Laughter has been replaced with tears. Passion with longing. Please come back as soon as you can. There is no magic without you.

I love you.

W.

Over a cup of coffee

2007-04-28T08:08:00.000+02:00

Two couples were sitting on an outside café drinking coffee in the sun. They were from different countries and places and spoke a lot of languages. The challenge was to find a language they had in common, because it was the first time all four of them had met. When they did start to communicate, the four of them were drifting off into new worlds by the enchanting stories they could tell of prison life in Asia, human rights campaigns in Latin-America and informal political conferences in Europe.

An alternative childhood

2007-04-24T18:46:00.000+02:00

Photo: Simen Johan

It was always dark. It was always past her curfew hours. It would rain. It would snow. It would be windy. No one noticed her, although she was at the same place at the same hour every single night. She had no one or nothing for company except for a well used camera. Every single night, at the exact same spot, at 10:47 pm she took a photo. No one knew why she did it. No one noticed. No one cared. What she didn't know, was that a middle-aged man was observing her. Every single night. If the girl would just have lived to tell her story.

Wrinkle twinkle

2007-04-17T21:29:00.000+02:00

He loved caressing her long, soft hair, her beautiful face. He wouldn't go tired of looking at her, his eyes shining. She felt the soft touch of warm fingertips on her forehead, and they didn't go anywhere. "What are you doing, my love?" She asked him. "I'm just helping smooth out your wrinkles, granny," he told her with a big smile.

Spring in the North

2007-04-11T10:15:00.000+02:00

Suddenly the sour smell of something burning was noticed in the living room. We tried detecting the source of the smell, but it didn't seem to come from anywhere within the house. Opening the window, the smell intensified and its source could also be seen. The neighbour had in a moment of pure spring feeling lit his grill out in the garden where the spring flowers already were blossoming. His coal was burning and he was having beer with some of his mates. The beef and the shrimps were being marinated and the lot seemed very cheerful. Finally the grill was ready for giving the group a fine barbeque, but as the neighbour put on the beef, the sky had turned grey and it started snowing.

Who laid the eggs?

2007-04-08T14:00:00.000+02:00

Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of extreme antiquity; since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth (to large litters) in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox.

The saying "mad as a March Hare" refers to the wild caperings of hares as the males fight over the females in the early spring, then attempt to mate with them. It is therefore not surprising that rabbits and hares should become fertility symbols, or that their springtime mating antics should enter into Easter folklore; however, the notion of a rabbit that lays eggs has an uncertain past. It may have simply arisen from a confusion of symbolism but, like much of the holiday of Easter itself, it could be a direct heritage from older traditions.

In Germanic and Slavic languages, the word "Easter" comes from an ancient pagan goddess of the spring named Eostre. According to legend, Eostre once saved a bird whose wings had frozen during the winter by turning it into a rabbit. Because the rabbit had once been a bird, it could still lay eggs, and that rabbit became the modern Easter Bunny.

Source: Wikipedia

Father and Son

2007-04-06T08:29:00.000+02:00

The enlarged photo in the hallway tells the story of the father who was teaching his son how to construct a rabbit-house for the son's new pet. Twenty years later, a new story is being written as you look out of the living room window. The son is now teaching his father how to build a garage.

Motivation

2007-03-28T08:51:00.000+02:00

In the beginning there was chaos. Nothing was as it seemed and nothing made sense. There were too many options and no guidance. There was complete autonomy, but no ideas about how to make it work.

Then ideas began to form themselves and solutions were searched for. All of a sudden there was a tiny ray of light and decisions were made. Someone came to assist and things seemed positive.

Then there were books. Books and articles. Interviews and internet sites. Millions and millions of never-ending pages. Information was abundant, maybe too abundant. Problems started occurring. Selection processes. Time management. Pressure, yes, lots of pressure.

Suddenly the spring sun arrived. Not having anything to do with chaos, books nor time pressure, but still it had an effect on everything. There were smiles. Someone pressed the fast forward button and things started happening.

Finally I was on my way.

Of trash and treasures

2007-03-25T09:41:00.000+02:00

Carlos had everything he needed. Food, clothes, shoes, his own bedroom, loving parents, quarrelling siblings and even an amazing XBox. He knew there were boys his age that didn't have all that he had, but normally he didn't dwell on it. For ages he had dreamed about a brand new pair of Nike Shox Turbo OH shoes, because he had worn out his old ones.

One day he couldn't find his old shoes anymore. Carlos asked his mom where they were and she told him that she had given them away to a boy that was walking barefoot on the street. She had bought her son a new pair of shoes, of a brand that was totally unfamiliar to him. After a moment of sulking, he decided to put on the new shoes (that were not Nike Shox Turbo OH shoes, not even anywhere close). After all, Carlos had to go to soccer practice.

On his way to the field, he saw some shoes that he recognized. They were worn out, had a hole on the left toe and were tied with red laces. These were the shoes his mother had given away. In them was a boy Carlos' age dressed in rags, but with the biggest smile possibly imaginable.

Good morning, sunshine

2007-03-19T08:14:00.000+01:00

In the middle of deep sleep, Tito jumped high. Something had scared him. Claws! "What's going on?" Willow asked him still with sleep in her eyes. She soon understood what it was. A large black and white long-haired forest cat was looking at her from its view-point on top of Tito. It was the beautiful male that lived in the house they were visiting. Petting the lovely soft-furred fellow, she didn't mind that it was just 6 o'clock in the morning. Tito wasn't as pleased as her and turned around to sleep for another couple of hours. The cat was purring contently. So was Willow.

Travelling

2007-03-15T14:12:00.000+01:00

The landscape was changing as they moved on; cities, suburbs, forests, mountains, lakes, cottages, more lakes, more mountains, forests, suburbs and finally cities again. Landscape can be interesting enough to make the hours fly by. Good company is even better. As the lovers traveled together, she drew him a genealogical tree so that he could learn the names of her family members that he was about to meet. Her family was not big, so it was quickly done.

Then she wanted him to draw his genealogical tree, both his mother's side and his father's. Just as her family was very small, his family was compensatory large. Completing his family tree, he drew both of their names into it. She felt honored to be included and also very touched. Some day they would make the family tree grow even stronger.

Diplomacy

2007-03-13T16:32:00.000+01:00

There was seemingly nothing that could be done. They had tried everything from tempting to tricking to forcing to begging, but they didn't get anywhere with her. The situation was locked, because the girl simply refused to eat the soup that her parents had put in front of her. She would not even touch the silver spoon that lay beside her bowl. The girl had decided not to eat. Only babies eat their food with a spoon.

At last her father came up with a bright idea that might be worth trying. He laid a fork beside her bowl of soup gone cold and waited for a reaction. The girl thought about it for a little while, before grapping the fork and eating her soup with it.

4-year old girls can be tough negotiators.

A member of the family or The calling

2007-03-09T15:15:00.000+01:00

Whenever the old man went outside in the beautiful, flowery garden that his wife had spent years cultivating, the dog would follow him like any faithful companion. He would spend hours looking at his master reading political essays and other fine pieces of literature, never going tired. His master was a good one that played with him, petted him and sometimes gave him delicious bones to gnaw at. Sometimes when the old man got tired and needed a siesta, the dog would start whimpering and barking at the second his master closed his eyes. The rest of the family members explained this odd behaviour as a fear of losing his master to death.

Through the years, the faithful dog also got older. He continued looking after his master until one day he knew it was his time to leave. He was no longer able to take his food, nor his water, and although his master and the other family members did all they could to save him, it could not be done. The dog had been called and there was no way he could ignore his calling.

As the dog drew his last breath of air, it was as if he in one moment could feel all the love he had ever given and been given throughout his life. His master had loved him for 12 years; the dog had loved his master for 84.

As they parted, tears were covering the old man's smile.

Coexistence

2007-03-08T08:59:00.000+01:00

The alarm clock went off at exactly 8 o'clock. Willow turned it off half-conscious and turned around to sleep a little longer. Tito was trying to communicate with her through a veil of sleep that was still uniting her with the dreaming world. When his words failed to reach in to her, he started to massage her while repeating his words. Slowly Willow gained consciousness parting with sleep and understood what he was saying. "Happy Women's Day, Willow! I love you!" Tito's irresistible dark eyes could probably make any woman feel beautiful. His promise to make a romantic candlelight dinner for two to celebrate the wonders of womanhood sounded lovely. Tito knows how to make Willow feel special.

Happy Women's Day to all you fantastic, strong and beautiful fellow sisters out there.

March

2007-03-01T10:04:00.000+01:00

When we woke up this morning, we turned the calendar and saw the new photo of a smiling Che. Having breakfast together, Tito told me about a tradition that he's grown up with. A tradition that it would be very nice to continue with in our little family.

Every New Year's Eve, 12 candles are lit for a few minutes. Each candle has a sticker with the name of a month. When they are blown out just after midnight, a wish goes with every single one. One wish per candle, one wish per month.

Every first day of a new month, a new candle of the New Year's Eve candles will be lit and let to be burned down. Then the wish will come true.

Winter Wonderland

2007-02-25T20:01:00.000+01:00

Sunday morning Tito woke up and just knew: "Today we'll go skiing!" And as usual Tito was quite right. Spending 20 minutes to get dressed (as one truly needs in a cold place like Willowlandia) the skiers were ready. Driving for a while, they reached their starting point - the forest surrounding the city. As it happened to be a Sunday morning, Tito and Willow weren't the only ones having thought the day perfect for skiing. The forest was full of children, youths, adults, grandparents and dogs skiing at their own phase while enjoying the fine day and the excellent skiing conditions. (The dogs did naturally not wear skis, if anyone thought so.) Skiing for quite some time the couple made it to a small cabin. There was smoke coming up from the chimney and outside very many pairs of skis were stacked. Inside there were a lot of people relaxing with a cup of coffee, waffles with brown cheese, buns and cinnamon rolls.

The rest was well deserved and the hot chocolate had probably never tasted so good. It also gave good energy for returning to the starting point. Tito and Willow were left with a feeling of well-being having accomplished a great day with physic exercise and the internal peace that the forest always gives the people visiting it stayed with them.

The world is in your hands

2007-02-24T19:08:00.000+01:00

Two girlfriends met after a long time apart. There were smiles and big hugs and a promise to go take a coffee together. Selma and Willow walked down the street absorbed in their own conversation. Tito followed politely holding Willow's hand.

The Camel was the name of a small, cosy café downtown. The three of them entered and found a table. Strawberry rooibush and steaming cappuccinos were served and the smiles continued. The topic "vacations" turned up. Tito and Willow had already bought their summer tickets to Titonia, a place with spectacular coral reefs, wild tropical cloud forests and white sandy beaches for miles and miles. Selma had not decided her summer destination yet, but was toying with the idea of joining her friends in Titonia. "Excellent idea!" Tito and Willow exclaimed.

The world is in your hands, Selma. Titonia might just be a couple of clicks away. We're awaiting your decision with great interest!

Vacation

2007-02-20T20:51:00.000+01:00

Puff, puff, the train is coming. Rucksacks, suitcases, umbrellas and plastic bags. People stressing, running towards assigned seats, pushing to come first. Puff, puff, the train is leaving the station. The conductor comes to check the tickets and quickly walks away.

Then you may lay back, plug music into your ears and close your eyes, knowing you're on your way.

Quetzaltenango

2007-02-16T09:26:00.000+01:00

This morning, Tito and I decided to take off. To Quetzaltenango. We wanted to escape for a while, going deeper and deeper into the forest. There were puffing volcanoes, the summing of multicoloured insects and an air so rich that our clothes stuck to our bodies. The forest was a wild one, so we had to use our machetes to cut our way through. To get a better view of the area we started ascending one of the inactive volcanoes. We were all alone apart from some shouting monkeys and jabbering parrots. Reaching the top, we had the most amazing view. Ancient Maya temples were looking up over the tree crowns reminding us of a great civilization. And to make the moment even more special, one of the shy quetzales flew past us on graceful wings.

Open your mind

2007-02-14T09:05:00.000+01:00

There are no borders impossible to cross. There are no obstacles too big to overcome. There are no limits to the joys you can get pleasure from. Nor is there any end to how much beauty can be found in the smallest of things.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Muffinman

2007-02-11T09:35:00.000+01:00

When people normally wake up on Sunday morning, the Muffinman has already been up for hours. He's been preparing in the kitchen, gathering flour, sugar, chocolate, eggs, vanilla, dried fruits and other fine ingredients. There is no limit to what the Muffinman can do with food. The smells that reach the bedroom are almost divine and they make you want to get up to start a new day. A new day with muffins and who knows what else.

Let's start exploring.

Kissing dolphins or Dreaming

2007-02-09T08:37:00.000+01:00

There's something special about mornings when you wake up from a series of dreams you remember every part of. They might include stories about how the pine trees put on frozen raindrops like diamonds in the winter, plane-trips seated next to a little girl eating ice-cream or the planning of a school theatre play about rainforest reservoirs.

It's even more special waking up having someone to tell these dreams to. Then you might reach the conclusion that you most likely are able to remember all those details because you've spent the night feeling safe and comfortable while being hugged asleep.

Magic world

2007-02-04T09:23:00.000+01:00

The air was filled with fairies, their magic wands flickering with sparks. Then he appeared and the world stood still for a moment. Tito had come. Willow threw herself around his neck, giving him a big kiss welcome. She knew she was never to let go of him ever again. So much time had passed, at a slow snail's phase, but they had made it. Finally she felt herself as a complete human being. Tito felt the same.

Love is a powerful force.

La Mariposa

2007-02-02T15:58:00.000+01:00

La Mariposa woke up from tranquil dreams embracing the new day. She checked her wings and antennas before setting off. She flew from flower to flower licking sweet honey, feeling happy. La Mariposa had a large number of friends that she met every ones in a while and this morning in particular, she felt urges to see them again for a large reunion. Flying softly to their meeting point, she saw more and more butterflies coming in. Their wings came in all shapes and sizes and the colours matched all those of the rainbow. "Let's go to Willow's tummy," la Mariposa told her friends. And that's how it came to be that Willow spent the entire day feeling restless, yet very excited.

Tito is on his way.

Here's to all my friends

2007-02-01T22:39:00.000+01:00

Friends who come along when I call and tell them I would like to take a walk in the forest with them. Friends who trust me with their thoughts and problems. Friends who invite me to their beautiful new home to end up in a comfortable sofa relaxing with whatever is on TV.

Friends who invite me for a highly impressive three course dinner, followed by a movie and a coffee at a cozy café afterwards. (Here's to AJ.) Friends who call me when they happen to be in the neighbourhood and friends who call me just to ask how I am. Friends who read my humble blog and find it interesting enough to comment. Friends who gather to knit together. Friends who arrange film-nights with lasagne....

And that was just this week. Needless to say I'm very privileged.

Who wants my heart?

2007-01-29T11:29:00.000+01:00

Once upon a time there was a mouse that was so happy that it decided to give its heart away. It felt a strong and warm feeling inside and knew what it had to do. Seeing the mole up on its dam it run towards him. "Mr. Mole," it said, "I'd like to give you my heart because I feel so happy today." "No time for hearts, my dear mouse, I have a dam to build," the mole answered and continued his work. The mouse was not the kind to give up and so it continued its wanderings in the forest.

Suddenly it felt a thump in the head. A walnut. "Good morning, Mrs. Squirrel," the mouse said upon seeing her up in the tree. "I feel so happy today that I'd like to give you my heart." "No time for hearts, my dear mouse," said the squirrel. "I have walnuts to crack." Feeling a bit blue, the mouse continued. It sat down on a little piece of bark in the greenest of clearings. "Why doesn't anyone want my heart?" The mouse asked itself with a sigh.

Then a tall, thin creature with a never-ending neck came up to the mouse. The mouse had never seen any such thing. "Excuse me, miss, but what are you?" "I'm a giraffe," said the giraffe. "What a beautiful heart you have." "Thank you," the mouse said with a sigh. "I used to be so happy that I wanted to give my heart away, but no one wanted it because they had no time." Thinking for a bit, the mouse suddenly lightened up. "Maybe you want my heart, Miss Giraffe?" It said with excitement in its voice. "Oh, I couldn't," said the giraffe. "It's too much and beside no one has ever given me anything before." "But I want to," said the mouse, and stretched its arms out towards the giraffe.

And from that day on the mouse and the giraffe shared something special and lived happily ever after.

A travel back in time

2007-01-25T07:22:00.000+01:00

Having enjoyed looking at old French postcards for quite a while, Willow decided to take a trip back in time to see how the world really was when the postcards were made. Anji (the master mind behind Time And Oft) said she'd just go fetch her coat and she'd come along as well.

Meeting for the first time, Willow showed Anji her brand new invention - a red, white and blue time machine with a cockpit resembling that of an airplane. Closing the door, buckling up and pressing a few buttons, they were on their way, going at a steady phase of 10 years per minute. Destination had been set to 19th century France.

When the time machine suddenly began to shake, Willow gave Anji an insecure smile, hoping her fellow traveller would continue believing everything was at it should be... When the time machine finally came to a full stop (after more shaking that a 5th degree earthquake), Willow slowly opened then door. She didn't know what to think; just that the view that met her certainly did not look like Paris or Marseilles or any other French fashionable 19th century town.

There were rocks in all shapes and sizes as far as the eye could see, some so big that they would be classified as mountains. Norwegian mountains. Trapped between these wildly majestic mountains was a wooden house that must have been an abandoned (or still inhabited?) train station. The mountains probably made it look smaller than it really was. Willow sent a guilty look Anji's way, trying to decipher what she might be thinking about the unfortunate situation Willow unknowingly had put them in.

All Greek to you?

2007-01-24T10:38:00.000+01:00

Instructions:

1 100 gr ball Iceland color 9660, violet
1 50 gr ball Nubbles color 404, celebration
16" circular needle, size 11
Double point needles, size 11

Accessories: Stitch markers, waste yarn, tapestry needle

"Using Nubbles, CO 24 sts. Join, being careful not to twist. Work in Stockinette Stitch (knit every round) for 2". Change to Iceland and work K1 P1 ribbing for 2". Change to stockinette stitch and work set-up round: K 12, pm, m 1, pm, K 12. Lower palm: K one round even, then work increase round: K to marker, sl marker, m 1, k to marker, m 1, sl marker, k to end of round. Continue in stockinette st, working increase round every other round 3 times more and ending with a plain round - [33 sts]. K to marker, remove marker, place next 9 sts on waste yarn for holding, remove marker, CO 1 st to bridge the gap, K to end of round - [25 sts]. Continue working even in stockinette st until piece measures 6" above ribbing.[...]"

And when you break the code, start understanding what it says and manage to transform it into action; you'll end up with two nice and warm woollen mittens.

Determined

2007-01-22T08:35:00.000+01:00

The black sun was filling the city with darkness. The neverending silence was deafening. All the regular people had most likely hidden themselves out of fear or out of intelligence. The young girl was out on the slippery sidewalk all alone, walking quicker and quicker. The sun made her cold, so she slowed down to be even colder. At last she reached her destination. It was a big forged iron gate. She put her finger on the doorbell and waited. Time had seemingly stopped. Then she heard something incomprehensible on the highly modern speaker and the gate opened. She went in, found the hidden door on the inner wall and opened it. Complete darkness. She turned off her vision and opened for touch. Feeling her way forward she found the staircase. A flickering yet playful light met her on the second floor and she turned on her vision again. Reaching the forth floor she was met with a great big hug and followed the hugger inside. Everything was different there.

Nothing is forever

2007-01-15T13:48:00.000+01:00

I have not had a glass of milk in seven years. It was about the time I went to live abroad for the first time that I stopped drinking milk, but I cannot remember anymore what (or who) it was that made me stop. I cannot even remember my last glass of milk or whether or not I knew at the time that it would be the last.

Out of nowhere came the idea that I should have a glass of milk again. I don't know why, but I just felt like pouring myself a glass of fresh milk. So I did. And it did actually taste quite good.

€ 35

2007-01-13T14:00:00.000+01:00

Some persons prefer bar-hopping. Others prefer island-hopping. I prefer bookstore-hopping in January. I find it impossible to believe that there should exist anything more thrilling, more breathtaking and more arousing than January bookstore sales for a booklover.

Today's conquests to be incorporated in my sacred collection of books include: three wonderfully illustrated cookbooks to giveaway prices, two hardcover books for children (one with funny nursery rhymes and the other a beautiful story of a melting snowman) and a Dan Brown book.

Mission: highly successful.

Flies united

2007-01-06T11:25:00.000+01:00

Willow was pouring tea down her giant cup, looking forward to a calm morning reading the paper and listening to the radio. As she was about to take the first sip of her lovely blueberry tea, she noticed a foreign body in her cup. A fly had dived into the pool of warm tea, and drowned. Turning up her nose, Willow poured out her untouched tea and the dead fly. What a waste. Making new tea and pouring herself a new cup, tranquillity ones more filled her. The newspapers didn't report too much misery (at least not the cultural pages) and the music coming out from the radio belonged to the category "feel-good". Halfway through her morning cup of tea, a new kamikaze pilot was circling itself in above her cup. Then it dived in and died. Willow poured the remaining tea with the new dead fly out, turned off the radio and folded the paper. The magic of a nice morning had certainly been broken.

Happy New Year 2007!

2007-01-01T20:12:00.000+01:00

Here's to new beginnings, new opportunities, happiness, good health and flourishing love.

May dreams be made real.

From his mother's memories

2006-12-26T15:56:00.000+01:00

"Sam, I've just gone through the old wardrobe," the aging mother told her youngest son. "Look what I found!" The beautiful lady held out a white baby suit that seemed very well preserved. "It used to be yours," she told him with a big smile and two bright shining eyes. "29 years ago." The son looked at the little white baby suit in wonder. Had he really been so small that he could wear anything so tiny, so delicate? Holding the little piece of textile that was part of his mother's memories, not his, he said to himself: "This little suit some day will be the legacy of my unborn son, Adam."

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T12:25:00.000+01:00

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

~John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Childish excitement

2006-12-17T21:58:00.000+01:00

When I woke up this morning at 8 o'clock, I noticed something I haven't seen in ever so long. Snow falling. Snow falling silently. Snow covering everything outside my window. Watching it made me feel energized, so energized that I couldn't go back to sleep. For the first time this year I've felt some kind of Christmas sensation. The idea of Christmas for people up here north will in most cases be closely related to snow. I must have spent at least one hour watching the snow falling. When the sun rose, it was still snowing. Then I started baking cookies. Oatmeal cookies and ginger cookies. Maybe you can imagine how nice that made my kitchen smell? I put on Christmas carols on the stereo and tuned into Christmas mode.

Pure delight

2006-12-14T12:57:00.000+01:00

Sleeping in late.

Having breakfast and a glass of mulled claret in bed.

Watching a cartoon in pyjamas.

The awareness of not having a single commitment the whole day.

Pure feeling of relaxation and well-being.

⇒ Christmas vacations, I welcome you!

The science of Mathematics or Being an overenthusiastic exam candidate

2006-12-13T16:53:00.000+01:00

Willow had a 6 hours literature exam. Coming to school, she was almost excited. Not just because the Christmas vacations were only 6 hours away, but also because she would be able to write several pages about her favourite topic, literature. Getting the exam questions, Willow smiled to herself - she knew she would be able to give good answers to all 4 questions. She actually enjoyed working with the task, and completed the 4 questions in only 4 hours.

When she was about to hand in the exam, she looked a bit closer on the exam text. It said: "Please choose two of the questions below to answer." Acknowledging her slight error, she couldn't help but break out in giggles. Then she chose to hand in the answers to the two questions she thought she had done best, and took the papers with the remaining two questions home.

Note to self: Read and RE-READ the exam text before starting up your creative solution mode next time - no matter how interesting and fun the questions may seem.

At the Beauty Parlour

2006-12-09T10:43:00.000+01:00

I got up early this morning to make myself pretty. I took a long, steaming hot shower, removing excess body hair and scrubbing away dead skin cells. My shampoo has a rich scent that stays in my hair. Having dried my body with a large white towel, I put on sexy lingerie. Then I started putting on body lotion to make my skin smooth. Teeth were cleaned. Nails must not be forgotten either - cut, filed and polished. I blew my hair dry so that it would stay in perfect shape, combing it to make it look shining. In my wardrobe I found a brown, simple top that looks good on me and a matching pair of pants. No mascara, no lipstick, no rouge. I'm opting for natural beauty. Then I put on my watch, my ring, my necklace (which has a sun amulet) and my favourite perfume. Finally I put on my smile.

And all this for a digitally transmitted date with Tito in Titonia. Will my efforts be sufficient for him to call me beautiful?

An unnecessary casualty

2006-12-06T10:31:00.000+01:00

Life in the jungle is hard. Feed is not always abundant and the animals live in a constant stress-state between getting their own feed and becoming someone else's feed. The yellow snake has not had feed in a week and it's a common fact that hungry snakes are highly dangerous. The yellow snake has become aware that there are intruders in the jungle. They are humans on expedition. The yellow snake starts its slow, controlled descend from its place in the tree. Its forked tongue is making a whizzing sound. The humans don't spot it until they are literally standing face to face with it. They freeze. The yellow snake makes more hisses. The humans don't know what to do, sweat breaking on their foreheads. There are no doctors in miles and miles. They carry no antidote with them.

The yellow snake keeps coming closer. Then it slips into one of the expedition satchels, containing apples and other fruits. The humans cannot believe their luck - the yellow snake has made itself an easy prey. The humans kill it with ease, along with their fear. What they don't know, is that the yellow snake was a non-venomous vegetarian.

Calligraphy

2006-12-05T21:40:00.000+01:00

"When God made the first clay model of a human being, he painted the eyes, the lips, and the sex.

And then He painted in each person's name lest the person should ever forget it.

If God approved of His creation, he breathed the painted clay-model into life by signing His own name."

From The Pillow Book

[Untitled]

2006-12-01T21:21:00.000+01:00

Once I entered a small chapel. It had two wooden benches, an altar and a large wooden cross. The cross consisted of three parts that were held together on top. On each part one could read names. Hundred of names. Maybe a thousand. I lit a candle in silence. This chapel was situated in a Catholic hospice run by volunteers. Its residents were AIDS victims having reached terminal stage. I was introduced to one of the residents. He used to be a big, handsome, black man. When I met him, he looked like a skeleton, and his beautiful colour black had turned to grey. Sadly I have to presume that his name will be on that wooden cross now.

Today, on the world AIDS day, my thoughts go to the man I met three years ago in the hospice and to all who are affected by this disease.

Just say no

2006-11-27T09:14:00.000+01:00

NO!

No sun - no moon!
No morn - no noon -
No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day -
No sky - no earthly view -
No distance looking blue -
No road - no street - no "t'other side the way" -
No end to any Row -
No indications where the Crescents go -
No top to any steeple -
No recognitions of familiar people -
No courtesies for showing 'em -
No knowing 'em!
No traveling at all - no locomotion -
No inkling of the way - no notion -
"No go" - by land or ocean -
No mail - no post -
No news from any foreign coast -
No park - no ring - no afternoon gentility -
No company - no nobility -
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!

By Thomas Hood

Crushing prejudices

2006-11-25T12:27:00.000+01:00

Up until last Thursday, I wouldn't in my wildest dreams have thought I'd ever go to the opera. For as long as I can remember, my perception of opera have been the idea of something incredibly boring, some fat lady screaming so loud that her horrible caws would break every breakable glass in a miles radius, with words I would be completely unable to decipher.

Then Thursday happened. A childhood friend of mine and I had bought discount tickets to Mozart's La clemenza di Tito. Being on my way to become a promoter of culture (high culture, low culture and everything-in-between culture), I thought I'd give opera a go. It must be added that I suspected I would not enjoy it.

But I did enjoy it! In fact I loved it! And the following day I bought 4 hours of opera "favourites" in the music store, that I have been listening to ever since.

A book-lover horror story

2006-11-20T08:41:00.000+01:00

Exams are getting closer, curricular books are to be read. Developing library and information center collections by Evans and Saponaro can be considered a nail-biting thriller for delicate souls. The following excerpt about finding the suitable person for deselection (and purging) in libraries made me shiver:

"The [collection development] teacher insisted that there was only one possible test to determine a person's suitability for becoming a collection development officer. Candidates would visit a doctor's office, where office staff would immediately take the candidate's blood pressure. The doctor would then hand the candidate a new book and tell the person to rip out one page and throw the book in the wastebasket. If the candidate's blood pressure rose above the initial reading, he or she would fail the test."
(Evans, p. 302.)

I feel a strong oncoming nausea every time I see someone bending the covers or the back of a book into any unnatural position, and if I see someone making a dog's ear, be sure I'm close to fainting!

Collection development officer suitability test result for Willow: Failed.

A thought experiment

2006-11-18T09:10:00.000+01:00

A Buddhist monk has no money. Not by injunction, but by choice. He owns a very limited number of things: a robe, a pair of sandals, a rice bowl, a walking stick and a straw mat to sleep on. He spends hours and hours meditating, sitting on the same spot in the shadows of a banyan tree. Nothing can bring him out of his spiritual travel. He's balanced. He's pacifist. He's wise. And if he gets hungry, he walks with his fellow companions down to civilization where the population sees it as their duty and an honour to help by putting rice and vegetables into his rice bowl.

This kind of lifestyle could probably not be lived in the western world, because paradoxically one would most likely starve. Jumping off a way too fast-spinning life, admittedly sounds tempting. I'm not convinced I would be less happy if I gave away everything I had and started a life more in pact with nature.

A plant with long prickles. Sometimes used as a hat

2006-11-16T21:37:00.000+01:00

"Can anyone see what this man wears on top of his head?" Willow asked the kindergarten children after a successful picture book theatre presentation. Her teacher had sent her and the rest of the librarians-to-be on a self chosen fieldtrip to promote a piece of contemporary literature.

"A cactus!!!" The boy with the superman shirt exclaimed. "It's a cactus," another boy repeated thrilled. "Willow, what is a cactus?" A girl with long blond hair wanted to know. Naturally Willow could not compete with the velocity of two enthusiastic five year old boys who were more than willing to explain.

"It's a plant with long prickles. One time I hurt myself touching it! Ouuuuu!" The girl didn't seem to listen to him. "Wiilloooooow," she screamed. "What is a cactus?"

Of course the little girl already knew what a cactus was; she just wanted Willow's attention. Like most of the kindergarten children did. Before she got to answer, a whirlwind had taken the curious girl away, and she could be seen jumping in the corner with some of her friends. The thought of cacti had apparently disappeared.

A trip to the kindergarten means lots of noise, lots of questions (and incredible stories) at high speed and a great deal of fun!

Morning ritual

2006-11-13T20:45:00.000+01:00

The old fisherman turns on his portable radio. He eats his bread and drinks his coffee in silence. He doesn't seem to notice his wife who is doing her kitchen chores.

"The Vesterålsbank: Variable for 4 or 5. Rain. Moderate. From this evening westerly force 6, Tuesday becoming southwest near gale force 7. Scattered showers, otherwise good."

The monotone voice on the stately channel number one has the fisherman's full attention.

"Outer Vestfiord: Becoming westerly force 6, later near gale force 7. Rain, later some showers. Moderate. Tuesday becoming risk of westerly or southwest gale force 8. Scattered showers, otherwise good."

The fisherman puts on his woollen socks, his rubber boots and his oilskin. Lighting his old-fashioned tobacco pipe, he tells his wife good-bye with a small nod and leaves the house.

The weather forecast is never indifferent to a fisherman.

Presumption

2006-11-10T23:08:00.000+01:00

My cellular phone rang on Saturday evening. The caller's number was not familiar to me. "Hello?" I answered. "Hi, is this Willow?" a female voice asked. I had to admit it was. "I have this really great thing to offer you," she exclaimed energetically. "Do you have any children?"

Obviously she had done some cross references between my name, my number, my age and what she considered the appropriate moment for having children.

The lady wanted to offer me this marvellously wonderful super-fantastic-special-price-for-you membership in a book-club for children. When she heard my answer and discovered that sometimes cross references don't give you the desired result, she almost sounded sad. Lost profit for her. Maybe even a waste of her time.

I guess you could say this was my debut at motherhood. Sudden and unexpected. The magic works of time.

Fire!

2006-11-05T10:31:00.000+01:00

04:17 am. Willow was fast asleep. 04:18 am. Willow was woken up by a repetitive loud noise. Being halfway sub-conscious, she didn't first understand what it was. Then she gathered that it was the fire alarm. She asked herself why on earth they needed to have a fire-drill in the middle of the night, and that even on a Saturday. Putting on some clothes, she ran down all the 183 steps to the main floor. Getting down to the second floor, she smelled (and saw) smoke. Gathering with the rest of the tenants outside the building, she realized that it might not be a fire drill after all. And that she had made a big mistake forgetting that it was winter outside in her sub-conscious choice of clothing... Two large fire engines filled with smoke divers arrived, the police came and even the ambulance. At 04:51 Willow (now having turned blue with cold) and the rest were allowed to go back inside.

Cause of drama: 2 burning sausages that someone had left on the stove unattended on the second floor.

2006-10-29T10:56:00.000+01:00

She told me that they had had something divine together. They had loved one another like they had never experienced before. The last time they had met, they made love under the stars at their special place. Then he disappeared. He couldn't live with the pain of his lost soul anymore. He couldn't live with the fact that he felt he was a burden on everyone he knew. Even love wasn't enough to save him. Some time later the police found him at the same, special place where she had been with him the last time. But then it was too late. He had left this world for good.

I feel so much for you, my friend. I wish there was something I could do to relieve you from your massive sorrow. Nothing can ever be compared to loosing the most important you have, it's just plain impossible to grasp. You're in my thoughts and I cry for you.

Weather forecast: Wet Wetter Wettest

2006-10-26T12:33:00.000+02:00

Rain in the morning
Rain in the evening
Rain in the night

Drip
Drop
Drop
Drip

The sun has rained away

I need an umbrella

Inspiration VI

2006-10-22T10:29:00.000+02:00

Evening.

Your quest has come to an end. You have the egg, and nothing is going to stop you from opening it. All the way you have followed your instincts, gotten yourself into difficult situations, but you have also managed to get yourself out of them.

Struggling a bit to find out how the opening mechanism works, you finally get it right. The egg is unlocked. It only remains to lift the upper part up. Are you ready to see what it contains? Off course, you are. Silly question.

You open it slowly, and as you do, you notice a bright yellow light coming out. And then the secret is revealed. It's so much more than you had ever dared hope for. If not being the answer to your life or to your dreams, it certainly comes close. You've been looking so long for this. Your morning adventures have truly paid out. You feel rich. You feel honoured. You feel awed.

There, inside the egg, lies one single, golden leaf. And only you know why this leaf is so special to you.

THE END

Inspiration V

2006-10-19T18:38:00.000+02:00

Early afternoon.

Running away as fast as you can from that dreaded house, you finally run out of breath. Frost mist is coming out of your mouth, and you feel it might begin to snow. You find a bench and sit down. Looking down on your leg, you see that you are unhurt. The crocodile must have got hold of one of the wooden bench-legs inside the building and missed yours. Calming down with the egg on your side, you let the soothing effect of trees take you away. Coming back to reality some time later, you realize you need to make a new decision.

Should you open the egg? You are well aware now that it might be a new Pandoras box. Should you throw the egg away and go have a drink at the nearest pub and forget about everything that has happened this morning, assuming that you actually are capable of forgetting? Or should you simply keep the egg, without opening it?

Inspiration IV

2006-10-15T22:40:00.000+02:00

A few minutes past midday.

Time seems to have frozen like water-puddles in December. For all you know, you might have been inside the abandoned building for days. Without a doubt you've put yourself in a difficult situation. Did you actually think? Had you anticipated consequences of a nature this delicate? Or had you just followed your childish curiosity and urges of me-me-me-me? The egg is still glimmering.

Belated wisdom never does any good, so you need to deal with the things as they are. You've gotten yourself into this, so you're the only one that can get you out.

Let's take a look at the options you did not choose. Although you'd never know in real life how your life would have turned out if you had chosen alternative directions, you will today.

Option 3: Lie down, play dead (hope whatever is in there with you is not carnivorous) and wait until it goes away.
Consequence: Your company happens to be a runaway South-African crocodile that hasn't been feed in 2 weeks. It's absolutely delighted to see you, imagining you on a silver plate with thick gravy on the top. Lets face it: you don't stand a chance. Your life passes backwards before your eyes before it gets completely dark.

Option 1: Panic, forget about the egg and run the hell back out (hoping you'll find the door unlocked.)
Consequence 1: Your escape takes the crocodile off guard, and it gives you time to find the door (which happens to be unlocked as we all know crocodiles cannot lock doors with a key). You save your life, but your mind never lets you rest because you blew your chance at getting your egg. It becomes an obsession and you are later admitted to the local psychiatric institution, never to be let out again.
Consequence 2: Your sudden moves makes the crocodile's instincts kick in, and you end up a lovely supper.

But you didn't choose any of these options, so you can congratulate yourself. Or should you...?

Option 2 (which is the one you actually chose!): Keep your head cool, take the egg and slowly tip-toe out, not turning your back to your company.

Starting to tip-toe towards the closed door with the egg under your arm, you keep eye-contact with the hungry crocodile. You have one secret card: your newly acquired super-hero-kung-fu-moves. Whether or not they can actually be useful in the situation you have now put yourself in, no one knows, but it's all you've got. Tip-toeing backward as if floating, you actually reach the door. But you make one mistake. You turn your back to the crocodile upon reaching out for the door handle.

Wosh, wosh, wosh. *Snap* It's got your leg!!! Or has it? You feel no pain? Managing to get out, you shut the door behind you as hard as you can. Your heart is racing faster than a racing car. You've got the egg. You're safe.

Where do you go next?

Inspiration III

2006-10-14T10:33:00.000+02:00

Midday.

Your instincts has won the battle over your reason. Victory to your curiosity! Entering you feel very excited and a little bit scared. Is anyone wathing you? What will the abandoned building covered with read autumn leaves reveal? It's quite dark, but rays of white light enter through the gothic shaped windows and the door opening enabling you to see a bit. The feeling that someone is watching you is soon suppressed. Marvelled you enter a big open space. Apparently there is only one room in the building. The ceiling is very high. The few benches all facing east has a thick layer of dust covering them. Walking a bit further in, the glimmer that you saw before entering captures your attention. It seems to be something quite small lying in the innermost corner of the huge room. You pass the benches, and realize that the item glimmering looks like a big Easter egg. Knowing that it most likely stores something you really need to have, you take a step closer. You must have this egg!

*Bang*

The door closes.

*Snap*

You realize that you are not alone. Someone or something is in there. You hear a weak noise of something moving on the floor. You think it's coming your way!

These are your options:

Panic, forget about the egg and run the hell back out (hoping you'll find the door unlocked.)

Keep your head cool, take the egg and slowly tip-toe out, not turning your back to your company.

Lie down, play dead (hope whatever is in there with you is not carnivorous) and wait until it goes away.

What will you do?

Inspiration II

2006-10-12T11:38:00.000+02:00

Late morning.

The sun has fully come out, but it's just for light, not for warmth. The questions you asked yourself several hours ago have not been answered. You're still standing outside the same building with gothic windows and leaf-covered walls. Your instincts tell you to go ahead, enter the mysterious building and get the answers you're looking for. Your reason, however, tells you that you can get arrested for breaking into a place or trespassing.

Walking usually helps troubled minds make themselves up, and that results in the discovery of a barely visible door. The strong growth of the red-leaved ivy has covered it nearly completely. Leaving your reason behind, and acting on pure instincts, you reach for the door handle. It's stuck... you think. Trying a bit harder, you surprisingly see that there is movement, and the opening is just big enough for you to slip in. The rays of light touches something glimmering on the inside, but you cannot see what it is.

What do you do? Do you follow your reason; closing the door and escape before anyone sees you and calls for the police to arrest you? Or do you go with your immense curiosity and instincts telling you that you should go into the abandoned building because it may contain something you might be looking for?

Your choice.

Inspiration I

2006-10-11T08:54:00.000+02:00

Early morning.
For Risa

It's freezing, the sun is barely up, the pigeons are still yawning and you're out on a mission. You're looking for autumn leaves, and not just any kind of leaves, no. They have to be special. Walking quickly to keep warm, you observe. Trees, bushes, dead flowers. Leaves, leaves and more leaves. Red-orange-yellow-greenish. Leaves on the ground, leaves sticking to your boots, leaves in the air. But not the kind of leaves you want.

Then you get to an abandoned brick walled building with gothic shaped windows. Its walls are covered with leaves; mostly red ones. Suddenly you find yourself forgetting about your leaves. What is this place? What's inside? Is anyone or anything inside? Why is it abandoned? Should I try to get in?

And that's what might happen if you start looking for leaves one good autumn morning.

3rd anniversary

2006-10-07T19:00:00.000+02:00

It happened on a Wednesday. Willow was walking to work as usual, being totally unaware that her life was about to change forever. She walked at a regular phase, watching the people going to the busy market. There were colours, movement and noises everywhere. She tried her best avoiding diesel-fuelled cars, school busses honking and a number of bicycles. Turning the round, yellow corner, she greeted the guard as usual. He gave her a smile from his place under the guava-tree. She entered the office, and there she saw him. Her future.

"Hiding love is just as impossible as hiding fire in the desert."

Love you always, Tito.

Ginger me up!

2006-10-05T12:13:00.000+02:00

Recipe of the day: Gingertea

Ingredients:

Fresh ginger pealed and cut into pieces

Fresh water

Cook and leave to simmer for a little while.

I thought ginger was good to combat colds and throat aches. However, it supposedly has a whole lot of other nice effects as well. It can prevent nausea caused by motion sickness or morning sickness, it may help upset stomachs, avoid heat cramps, regulate natural inflammation and joint pains in the body, ease headaches and possibly help treating heart diseases. It also has a great deal of antioxidants. Source: Wikipedia

Time travels

2006-10-02T21:35:00.000+02:00

There she was again, my little girl. Greeting me from her special place by the ocean. Last time I saw her, she was a little baby, with no one but me to rely on. Her trusting eyes had given me a strange feeling of well-being. Of being important. Maybe even of motherhood. Sitting there by the ocean, she had grown a lot. I guess you could say she had become a young lady, and her beauty made me marvel. Her long, darkly curled hair. Her tanned skin. Her green summer dress. She wanted me to come sit by her side, to feel the soft breeze caress my wrinkled face and listen to the comforting sound of rolling waves. A sea-gull flew over us. Everlasting peace. I told my little girl about her childhood, her father and her little brother. She listened with a smile. Then we hugged for a while, and she was gone.

A short glimpse into a different place

2006-09-26T10:48:00.000+02:00

They were sitting on the porch without talking. Maybe they were enjoying the silence, knowing they didn't have to say anything. He sat behind her with his arms tightly wrapped around her. She held an empty coffee-cup. Their faces were expressionless, as if they had difted away to a new place. A place where they could be alone while being together. A place where they didn't need any words.

I saw them from my window. I was alone. Solitude has a sad beauty attached to it.

So, what happened then?

2006-09-24T09:28:00.000+02:00

Life was so good. The summer sun was shining. There was nothing I had to do. I could read all the books I wanted. Tito was here. I felt really great about things.

Then.

Life has turned way too busy. It's getting darker, it's raining and the leaves are changing colour. I don't have any time to do nothing. I have no time to read the books I want to read. Tito has left Willowlandia for now. I feel tired and melancholic.

Now.

Love is in the warm summer air

2006-08-10T21:47:00.000+02:00

Tito & Willow

Away until further notice

2006-07-20T17:48:00.000+02:00

Closing my eyes, I open my ears. I hear the wind caressing the trees, birds singing and the neighbour's grand-daughter complaining loudly she's hurt her toe. Then there is just the sound of the wind and the birds again. I open my book and let myself slide into the turn-of-the-century México where a man marries the love-of-his-life's sister, because it's the only way he can be near her. My garden, my sun bed, the wind in the trees and the singing birds all fade away. This is summer vacations to me.

Home, sweet home

2006-06-30T17:36:00.001+02:00

The circle is closed. One year abroad has come to an end. It sort of seemed sudden, although I remember it passing by at a snail's phase when I was living it.

Speaking of snails, I've had them. They were sort of slimy, and their tentacles were rather terrifying. But down they went. And I've got witnesses to prove I actually did swallow them.

Coming home, all the colours greens have breath-taken me. I knew my country was beautiful, but I don't think I've ever really noticed how wonderfully green it is. Looking forward to spend a nearly endless summer vaccation here. Books, walks in the forests, lazying and meeting up with good friends....

This is the beginning of a really great time of year.

A dog-life

2006-06-08T09:48:00.000+02:00

The dog is lying on the sofa - depressed. The only part of him being seemingly alive, are the sad eyes looking up at you when you enter the room. Lifeless, depressed, abandoned. The dog howls his most heartbreaking howl, expressing himself the only way he can. The dog's owner has left the building. The dog is being bossed around by the other dog. She won't leave him alone! She gets him nervous. The dog needs to go out. The dog isn't taken out. He takes a piss on the kitchen door. He takes a new piss on the leg of the living room table. The owner returns hours later and screams at the top of her lungs: "Bastard, what have you done? I'll give you, I'll give you...." The dog runs away, hiding himself under the innermost corner of the bed in the innermost room of the hall. The other dog is grinning, thinking "I'm such a good dog, I bet I'll get petted and baby-talked around now." The owner picks the other dog up and starts to baby-talk it and kiss it. "I-love-you-I-love-you-I-love-you." The dog feels bad. The dog starts barking. The dog is punished. Again. New dog-pee on the floor. And the whole process starts over again.

The dog is taken out (for a change). The dog is frenetic, trying to be everywhere at the same time. The dog knows he's only got 5 minutes to pee and mark the territory. That's how much his owner allows him. The dog seems confused. The dog has been outside for 15 minutes. The dog sees that the people having taken him out do not include his owner. The dog starts smelling a new place - a park! The dog is going crazy with all the new smells. The dog is running back and forth. The dog has been outside for one-and-a-half hours. The dog starts to relax. The dog feels good. The dog feels dog.

A weird state of mind

2006-06-07T09:45:00.000+02:00

I'm not sure how I feel today. Happy? Sad? Both? Is it possible to be both happy and sad without being either happily sad or sadly happy? Normally one is either sad or happy, and has no problem distinguishing the two. Have I been caught in the limbo?

Send me some kind of stimuli that will send me either which way, please.

¡Viva Cuba!

2006-06-02T08:59:00.000+02:00

Two girls alone at the cinema. Two bottles of coke and a bag of plantain chips. And a Cuban movie that leaves both of them with tears in their eyes in the end. This is a film I really would recommend to most everyone.

"Malú (Malú Tarrau) and Jorgito (Jorgito Miló) are friends who fight every now and then. It's part of the territory when you're ten and trying to make your mark on the world. Only their families don't see it that way. Her mother is a devout Catholic with strict ideas of who she should associate with. His family are die-hard Castrofans, card-carrying communists with a deep sense of party loyalty. Both families are too absorbed in their own travails to take much notice of the children. Her mother is trying to leave Cuba to join her partner and when Malú finds out that her mother is about to take her away, she escapes with Jorgito armed with the savings from her piggy bank. Their search for Malú's father involves an extensive (and enterprising) tour across the Cuban landscape with plenty of adventures along the way. Soon enough, however, the two realise that life on the run is not all they thought it would be and a kind of homesickness begins to set in. Rooted in two charming central performances, Viva Cuba is a quirky coming-of-age road movie that will appeal to both children and adults alike."

~A review written by Maria Delgado

Directed by	Juan Carlos Cremata
Written by	Juan Carlos Cremata, Manuel Rodriguez
With	Malú Tarrau, Jorgito Miló
Country	Cuba-France
Year of Production	2005
Running Time	80 minutes

Philosophy on a Thursday

2006-06-01T16:54:00.000+02:00

I have a luxury problem, I believe. And that is that I have too much time until my next exam. It would be impossible to fill all of it by studying the same texts over and over again, so I have started reading a new book.

It's an introductory book about philosophy (who would have thought?) called
The Questions of Life : An Invitation to Philosophy. It's written by the Spanish philosopher Fernando Savater. To be honest, it's the first philosophy-book I've ever opened and actually intended to read. The reason I have it in my custody is that I bought it for Tito. Being the wonderful man he is, he has allowed me to read it first, so this is what I have started on.

Chapter one is about death. Depressing? Well, not really. For instance it refers to Montaigne who said that we don't die because we are sick, we die because we are alive. The author has given me some new ideas and perspectives, even though I've only completed the first chapter. I like the way he writes, so I'll without a doubt finish it. My first book ever about philosophy. And not a day too early.

Joke of the year

2006-05-25T08:26:00.001+02:00

(And I sort of loved this picture.)

Going to the last class of the year yesterday, there was a new face among us. No one had seen her before. The teacher obviously hadn't seen her either, so he went asking her if she was in the right class. "Yes", she said, "it's just that I haven't had time to come before now." (There have been 4 classes a week ever since February, and the students have been able to pick the ones best fitting with their scedule.) The teacher gave her some explanations of the subject, and wished her good luck. This is Spain for you.

One day left

2006-05-23T18:02:00.000+02:00

One day left of classes. I've been waited for this day ever since January. And now it's finally here. No more copying down word by word of professors' monotone speeches, no more endless boredom and "anywhere-but-here" games, no more definitions of the definitions of the definitions...... In short: I can see the end of it. And it makes me smile broadly.

Guitar and pancakes

2006-05-22T19:31:00.000+02:00

Today I touched a guitar for the first time in my life, and I actually played a bit on it as well. I learned two cords and did manage to play on four strings. Impressive, ay? And then there were pancakes with peach-jam and banana for lunch. What a great day!

Good morning, sunshine!!

2006-05-17T09:35:00.000+02:00

Happy Constitutional Day to all the Norwegians!!! Here it will be "celebrated" with classes at school in nearly 40 degrees. Looking forward to some real tasty Melkesjokolade afterwards!

P.S. It did actually reach 42 degrees today. Hottest 17th of May I've ever experienced.
P.P.S. Thanks a lot to AJ who brought the most delicious fruit salad for lunch. Yum!

The Catty Hairball

2006-05-03T20:45:00.000+02:00

I don't really have a story today, but I found this wonderful photo. It expresses how I feel today; being inside, curling up in the sofa listening to the rain pouring outside. How nice it would have been having a cat for company!

The art of indulging oneself

2006-05-01T08:54:00.000+02:00

First day of Spring (according to the calendar). Pancakes with banana and raspberry jam for breakfast. Watching cartoons on TV in pyjamas. Going up to my personal paradise at the mountain. Reading a book, enjoying nature and having a sandwich for lunch. Just staying there; relaxing, breathing, feeling good. And then taking a hot bath in the end of the day.

What's your May 1st like?