Excuses

Reasons, randomly assorted, why I haven't been blogging:

1. I've spent more time on the beach in the past few weeks than I have in the previous three years.

2. On non-beach days, the weather has been so cr**p, that I haven't wanted to spread the doom and gloom that hangs around the house in such weather.

3. I'm hanging around the house with three children.

4. One of these children is a toddler, a text-book terrible twos type toddler. (I've been fortunate enough to have a more socially acceptable type on two occasions before - yes by that I mean girls - but third time I wasn't so lucky).

5. The toddler is a boy.

6. I only typed the first sentence of this post before being interrupted by having a Hannah Montana piece of cardboard thrust in my face for inspection. There are many such interruptions.

7. When the God of Children Entertaining Themselves Indoors in Inclement Weather smiles down on me I do things like laundry, remove dried oatmeal from the table, floor, everywhere, and feed my latest Facebook addiction called Bejeweled Bedazzle or something like that. If you want to avoid wasting great swathes of your precious leisure/cleaning time, DO NOT go near this ridiculous game. Seriously, don't.

8. I've nothing new to say about Norway. I've been here almost five years and now think it is perfectly normal to have a packet of brown cheese in the fridge, to remortgage the house to pay parking charges, and to wear wellies in the city centre on a sunny day. Well it is, isn't it?

9. I'm spending all my free time writing my novel. This is a whopping great lie. I just want you to know that I am STILL writing a novel. Haven't abandoned the great oeuvre yet. No, not yet.

10. I've run out of excuses - no I haven't. Toddler has just emptied a spoon of porridge over his sister's head. Gotta go.

Chick Lit Upgrade

Yesterday I was in Norli in Sandvika Stor Senter. This branch of Norli is, I believe, the largest book shop in Norway. Unfortunately it's teeming with books in Norwegian. This didn't stop me glancing longingly at the few shelves of English novels and visualizing how my 'work-in-progress' might look there, and who its neighbours might be. Something by Doris Lessing wouldn't be bad company to be keeping. Alas, the odds are very, very long but one can dream (and write of course).

Anyway, I noticed the sign above the Chick Lit section and thought, 'Wow! That IS clever re-branding. Marian Keyes and Cecilia Ahern must be thrilled.' Chic Lit sounds good doesn't it. Anyone read any?

Beach relief

Kalvøya Beach, July 3, 2009

My last post was a gripe about litter at the beach. I’ve hardly had a chance to write since as we were spending so much time at the beach. And not the same boring beach every day either. No, last week we went to four different beaches all less than 15 minutes drive from our house, and came home to our hot house, tanned and sweaty, toting sandy towels and an empty cool box. It was almost possible to believe we were living in a country that wasn’t Norway. I started to imagine that I could never live in another country ever again, that Norway is paradise. OK, so maybe there was a touch of heat stroke involved but seriously, when the sun is shining, I can't think of a better place to live in.

Folks, I even went swimming in the fjord! I haven’t swum in non-tropical waters for at least 20 years. Last week, the alternative was to expire in front of my children while wearing a bikini – not the way I hope to go.

Well this week we’re back to rain and cooler temperatures and to be honest it’s a relief to de-sand the house, pack away the bikinis, and sleep with a duvet again (all temporary of course. We don’t’ want summer to be completely done with us). For the moment though, no more night walks in search of fresh air and to check that the children haven’t stopped breathing in the tropical heat from which the only relief involved getting into the car and turning up the air-con to hurricane level. Not ideal sleeping conditions.

I bet the guys and gals who clean up the beaches are sitting back with a coffee and a newspaper this morning, grateful for the inclement weather. After last week's work overload, I think they deserve the break.