Highlights of the week!

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Flower for you first:)

Anyway,  although we have this stormy weather, I still have time to enjoy my life.
Last Tuesday, after work,  I went with my co-workers to eat dinner to the restaurant nearby. We tried to do it once  a year before Christmas.

Well, I need a remembrance so I took some pictures with my phone. Not so clear pictures.
                                                    This is me and Ann Helen.

Åse, Unni, Ella and Valle

Ann Helen, Aud, Ingrun and Gunn

This is what I ordered. Special kebab. Too much garlic:)

Ice cream for dessert:)

And they ordered the same type of food:)

Time well spent with friends and more calories to burn....

Although my hectic schedule, I still find to relax. Relax for me means to make something with my hands.

I feel in love with this moose when I first saw her....

from this book

after a few hours of crocheting...time to  sew the different parts together

I still have no name for her, so can you give her a name?

finished 

By the way, my youngest daughter asked me to make her a pair of  wool slippers and I couldn't say no:)

the first foot

Now, her pair of wool slippers. She loved them:)

Well, now time to play with my cat:)

something to make you smile:)

Secret elixir of longevity?

Gloria, out for a walk, notices this little old man rocking in a chair on his porch and approaches him.

"I can't help noticing how happy you look," Gloria smiles at him, "What is your secret for a long happy life?"
"I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," he replied, "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise."
"That's amazing!" Gloria responds, "How old are you?"
"Twenty-six," he replies.

Bye for now... Joy

Beautiful outside?

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I was invited to Letecia's birthday celebration last weekend. She turned 29.  Still very young. 

On the way to her house I had problem driving because of the snow and the wind was so strong. I thought that me and my car will be blown away and my life would end.... 

In addition, earlier that day, I got a message from my sister and she said that she was taken to the hospital because of too much stomach pain. Not to mention our dear aunt who is dying. I thought that maybe it was not the right time to be merry. But, I didn't want to dissappoint Letecia because it was her birthday and I was also looking forward to meet friends that were invited, so I went. Life must go on, no matter what. I did survived:)

The birthday celebrant and the foods that she prepared. Hmmm. Delicious!

It was terrible cold outside, but inside Letecia's home was warm and  cozy.  Some of the guests were already there when I arrived. Beautiful ladies.

So I joined them.... In a group was a friend from USA. Her name is Sarah and it was nice of her to come to join us ladies from the Philippines.

Anyway, as you can see...calories to burn again! Oh, we didn't mind at all:) 

A thought came into my mind as I look at the pictures.

Maria is 31 while I am 51

Going to a party makes us do our best to look nice outwardly. Putting on  make- up on our faces to camouflage our imperfectness. Especially me who  is a way much older than others. 

Mother and daughter. Much more younger



Some of us carefully select the right shoes that match the color of the dress. And I admire them who really knows how to dress right.



On top of that, we put on jewelry to make us look more glamorous. We really want to look amazingly beautiful if it is possible.

As I look at the pictures, I can see that everyone really looks great. God's creation

I believe these two lovely ladies are the youngest among us grown-ups.

Everybody was smiling, but we knew that many of us are hurting inside for different reasons. Sadness especially for our country men who were devastated by the typhoon Haiyan. There are some among the group that  have families where the calamity struck. But still we are very lucky to be given this opportunity to celebrate and for all the blessing. I thank God for that. 

Like I said, we all want to look nicely especially in occasion like this, but I do pray to God that we must not forget to take care of our hearts and  because if we are beautiful  inside, then it will radiate outside.

This morning, I read these from Ephesians 6:10-18. God's written words  and got the inspiration to pray for every one from the living word of God.

Father, I pray that we will aways  put on your whole armour  so that we will be able to stand on our ground when calamity strikes, when sickness attacks us, when problems are overwhelming. That we will stand with the belt of truth, that comes from you, buckled around our waist and with breastplace of righteousness in place. Make our feet fitted for the gospel of peace. I pray that wherever we are, we will take our shield of faith. To extinguish  all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Do not let us forget to put on our helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. Your word Oh God. Thank you for reminding us to be alert and pray in Jesus name.

JOY

Jula VÅRRES( Our Christmas)

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Yes, it was a hectic weekend. There was snowstorm...almost... outside.  But life must go on..
Anyway, last friday, I accompanied one dear old lady to a concert/ play nearby.  It was cold, dark and slippery ourside, but this concert/play which they called " Vårres Jul"  ( Our Christmas) was meant to make people happy especially in winter time.
Gonna share some pictures and will narrate what I remember or understand from the play so that you will have an idea how they do it here in Norway in old days...

Well inside the culture house...winter....this is a part of the stage.

I found Santa in one corner. Maybe he had done something wrong because they put him there? Taking Jesus Christ place during Christmas time? It is only a joke..but actually true. Don't you agree?

Anway, the first act: An old soldier who told us his escapades when he was in service. I didn't understand every words because they talked in dialect with accompaying sound from the choir. 

Here is the choir. They sung very good though. I just could not relate to some of the songs because it was old norwegian songs written a long time ago by a man that I didn't know.

Then afterwards came an old woman who was going to bed to rest. Her night dress was typical in the old days. They slept with head covering, sweater and wool socks because it was cold at night.

But then the son of the house came and told her that she needed to go the the toilet to do her thing:)

Then time to cooked dinner and peel potatoes....old potatoes...

Children in a kindergarten playing in a box of sand....

Afterwards... Santa came...no gifts though...

Party time..one un-invited guest on the way...down to th right....he was smelling very bad..

In the old days, it was allowed to make alcohol drinks at home. So the guys are busy preparing strong drink for the party.

The result...

Now they are really in trouble!

Then here comes the priest who didn't like what was happening around him and critizized the secular music, but at the end danced with the music and had fun.

This act is about this lady to the right who was so scared because everything around her was dissappearing...

Well, it is bedtime for the houseboy and the househelp....not for our eyes?

and the last act that made me laugh... here comes the pig to be slaughtered...a tradition before Christmas time here in Norway...

                                                   that made my day:)

 This is one of the highlights last weekend.

JOY

Konrad Klossmajor

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Because of the catastrophe that happened lately in my own homecountry, 

my heart is aching too much for the people that are suffering. In addition, here in Norway is winter now and it is dark and cold.  On top of that I got a flu ( better now). It makes me depressed.  But since my name is Ligaya, ( Joy in English) I need to live up to my name and try to be joyful no matter what. My solution is to make my mind think of other things than to feel sorry for myself, because I don't have the reason to feel that way. Blessed by God in many areas of my life.

One of the things that I do to cheer myself up is to create something. Then I found Konrad Klossmajor in a hobby book that I bought lately.

Say hi to Konrad Klossmajor

But since he is just a picture, I have to make my own that I can touch and cuddle.

here are the different parts before I sewed them together

opps... no eyes yet

                                               the finished product

isn't he cool?

On thing more, if you remember in one of my post that I said that I am going to make " Ella Ellemus"?

This is from the same book where also Konrad Klossmajor came from.

Here is my version. If you notice, the body has two different colors. It was because I run out of yarn and it was Sunday when I crocheted it  and the shops were close. Luckily I found yarn I could use.

and now meet Ella Ellemus. I think she is kinda sweet:)

 side view

Konrad Klossmajor and Ella Ellemus won't stay long with me. I will give them to a sweet girl and boy as a gift this Christmas.

I made a pair of potholder too!

And now here are some funny jokes to make you smile:)

 Out of the Mouths of Babes **

1) Out of the mouths.............

I was nervous the night my husband and I took our three young sons to a restaurant for the first time. My husband ordered a bottle of wine with the meal. When the waitress brought it, our children became quiet as she began the ritual uncorking. She poured a small amount for me to taste, at that moment, our six-year-old piped up, "Mum drinks a lot more than that."

* At School
Mother: 'Why are you home from school so early?'  Son: 'I was the only one who could answer a question.'

Mother: 'Oh, really? What was the question?'
Son: 'Who threw the blackboard duster at the teacher?'

* Going straight?
Jasper Barnett, a young lad from St. Alban's, England was asked by his teacher to spell the word 'straight.' Jasper did so without error.

'Well done!' smiled the teacher, 'Now, Jasper, what does it mean?'
'Without water in it!' responded Jasper immediately.

* Newspaper Boy:
A newspaper boy was standing on the corner with a large pile of papers, shouting, 'Read all about it. Twenty five people cheated. Twenty five people cheated.'
Intrigued, a man walked over, bought a paper, and checked the front page. What he saw was yesterday's paper. The man said, 'Hey, this is an old paper, where's the story about the big swindle?' The newspaper boy ignored him and went on yelling out, 'Read all about it. Twenty six people cheated.'

JOY