Orchid buds :-)

I slutten av forrige uke malte jeg vinduslistverk og -karmer i stua. 

Det er egentlig noe som burde vært gjort for lenge siden, men har vært en av de små tingene som har havnet langt ned på lista over alt som må gjøres.

At the end of last week I got around to painting the windowsills and moldings in the living room.

That is actually something that should have been done a long time ago, but has been one of those small things that have been moved far down on the to-do-list. 

Torsdag / Thursday:

Lørdag / Saturday:

Litt pirk, men det ble bra etter tre strøk med hvit maling, og det var godt å få det gjort :)

Tre stuevinduer og verandadøra har nå endelig fått hvitmalte karmer. (Hurra)

Three living room windows and the porch door now have white painted moldings. Three coats of white paint made it turn out really nice, and I'm glad it's finally done :) (Yay)

Mens jeg var i gang med å rydde bort alt som sto i vinduskarmene gikk jeg over potteplantene og fjernet vissent bladverk og klippet bort noen tørre stilker. 

En orkide hadde to tørre, gamle blomsterstilker som ble klippet ned, og bak dem gjemte det seg faktisk en ny blomsterstengel som jeg ikke hadde lagt merke til. Jeg har ikke fulgt med på orkideen etter at den blomstret ferdig i vår, ettersom orkideer aldri blomstrer mer enn en gang hos meg. Dette er første gang jeg har opplevd at det kommer ny blomsterstengel. Så morsomt :)

Denne orkideen var en gave i fjor, så det var ekstra koselig at den nå kommer til å få nye blomster. 

While I was emptying the windowsills before painting, I checked the indoor plants, removing dry foliage and cutting back dry twigs.

When cutting back two old and dry flower stems from an orchid, I surprisingly found that behind them it was hiding a new stem with little buds. I hadn't really payed any attention to the orchid lately, because in my house orchids have the habit of only blooming once. This is the first time I have ever had an orchid that produces new buds, so this is so nice :)

This orchid we got as a gift last year, and it's wonderful that it will keep blooming :)

Så fine :) Nå gleder jeg meg til blomstene kommer frem etterhvert.

So nice :) I am looking forward to see the flowers in bloom eventually.

Primulas.

Jeg kjøpte to primulaer i dag.

Koselig med litt vårlig pynt på bordet.

I bought two primulas today.

They look so nice on the living room table, such a sweet reminder of spring.

Ønsker alle som er innom en riktig god helg :)

Wishing you all a happy weekend :)

I love your blog.

Jeg har fått en I love your blog-award av Lirosa på bloggen EdeLiRosa.

Tusen tusen takk, det er veldig koselig å bli satt pris på :)

Lirosa er en driftig blogger som baker, strikker, hekler og har tanker om mangt og meget. 

Hun har også flere blogger om flere temaer, så hos henne kan man finne noe å lese for enhver :) Hun er også ei koselig og raus dame.

Ta turen innom bloggen hennes på besøk!

Når jeg har vært så heldig å få denne hyggelige utmerkelsen kan jeg også gi den videre til noen blogger jeg liker og vil anbefale, slik at andre kan oppdage dem.

Jeg ønsker å gi awarden til tre blogger har mye å by på, som alltid er koselige å titte innom, og som jeg synes fortjener positiv omtale og flere lesere:

Hønemors hverdag

Min lille verden i Nord Norge

I hagen ved skauen

Takk inspirasjon og mange fine leseopplevelser :)

Awardsreglene for de anbefalte Blogger:

1. Takke og linke til bloggeren man har fått awarden av

2. Gi utmerkelsen videre til fem blogger, og gjøre dem oppmerksom på det

3. Kopiere post-it lappen og sette den på bloggen

Den skal sendes til kanskje en ny blogg

eller en blogg som ikke har utrolig mange følgere enda.

Til slutt vil jeg minne om at dette bare er for gøy, så det er helt opp til dere selv om dere ønsker å lage innlegg og gi awarden videre eller ikke :)

Yarn winding.

Nøstemaskinen jeg bestilte for litt siden kom i posten etter noen dager.

Det var virkelig et godt kjøp, og nå har nøstingen gått unna i en fei.

Alt det plantefargede garnet mitt som var i hesper er nå blitt nøstet opp.

The yarn winder I purchased a little while ago came in the mail after a few days.

I'm so happy with it, it was really a good buy! 

All my plant dyed wool skeins are now winded into balls, so fast and easy.

Kreativ Blogger Award.

Lovely Anna over at Annuk Creations has given me a Kreativ Blogger Award.

Thank you so much Anna :) It's so nice to know that someone reads and likes my blog.

Anna is a very creative and talented jewelry maker, and I love visiting her blog to see her work. She is also a  great photographer and shares photograps from walks around her homeplace and from her trips.

Make sure you stop by her blog :)

So this is how this award works:
- Thank and link back to the person who awarded you;
- if you like, you can share 7 random things about yourself;
- pay it forward to some bloggers you like;
- contact those bloggers about the award!


7 random things about me:

1. I really enjoy blogging, and I am so pleased to have learned to know so many lovely people from around the world through blogging.
2. I love going to flea markets. I don't always buy anything, but I very much enjoy the browsing through.
3. I love coffee as a drink...
4. ...but I do not like coffee flavoured chocolate, ice cream, cake or anything else coffee flavoured.
5. I have never got a speeding ticket.
6. I have never broken a bone in my body.
7. I love trees and the woods.  



Here are two lovely blogs I am passing this award on to:

Jorunn over at A Wondering Star

Jorunn, I love your fabulous nature photos, your beautiful crafting and the friendly and peaceful atmosphere of your blog!

and

Regina over at Reginas Simple Life

Regina, it is always interesting to visit your blog, and I enjoy reading about your preserves, baking and gardening.

And finally I would like to mention the same thing that Anna did:

Of course, this is a game, so... no strings attached! :) Feel free to do any of the above, or just copy the award badge to your sidebar! 

A beautiful gift from a friend.

Jeg har fått en nydelig gave av en god venn :)

Den kom som pakke i posten, og jeg var kjempespent da jeg forsiktig pakket opp.

Gaven var ei flott veske; strikket av grønt ullgarn, tovet og pyntet med en fantastisk stilig stor treknapp, treperler og tovede blomster.

Se så fin <3 

Jeg er heldig, og veldig glad!!!

I have received a wonderful gift from a good friend :)

It came in the mail, and I was really curious as I carefully opened the parcel.

The gift was a beautiful handbag; knitted from green wool yarn, felted and decorated with a gorgeous large wooden button, wooden beads and felted flowers.

It is just gorgeous <3

I am so lucky, and very happy too!!!

Veska er foret og har to lommer inni.

The bag has an inside lining with two pockets.

Flotte detaljer og nydelig håndtverk!

Jeg har allerede tatt veska i bruk, og er superfornøyd. Den er myk og god, lett å bære og det er god plass i den.

Tusen, tusen takk til min snille, gode venn for denne omtenksomme og vakre gaven :)

Pretty details and beautifully crafted!

I have already started to use my new bag, and I am very pleased with it. It is soft and nice, easy to carry and there is a lot of room in it.

Thank you so much my kind friend for such a thoughtful and beautiful gift :)

Steinknapper / Stone buttons.

I helga besøkte jeg en krystallmesse. 

Der fant jeg flere nydelige krystaller, og i tillegg kom jeg over knapper av stein.

Damen som solgte de hadde et stort utvalg av steinknapper, både runde og i fri form. Artig også at knappene var laget av norsk stein.

Jeg kjøpte de seks knappene på bildet under (...det er dårlig fotolys her om dagen, så bildet ble dessverre ikke så bra...). Knappene er av grunnfjell med pyritt, jaspis, bergkrystall og de tre nederste er larvikitt.

Jeg syntes de var fine, og vil passe på litt grove strikkede og heklede gjenstander.

On Sunday I visited a large crystal and mineral fair.

In addition to several wonderful crystals, I came across some stone buttons.

The woman who sold them had a large range of stone buttons, both round and free shaped. It was also nice that all the buttons were made from Norwegian stones.

I bought the six stone buttons in the photo below (...the light is not good for photographing at the moment, so the photo isn't the best...). The buttons were made from black rock with pyrite, jasper, quartz and the three in the lower row are larvikite.

I really liked them, and I think they will look nice on knitted or crochet items.

Muligens kunne steinknapper være en ide til noe man kan lage selv? 

Man kan plukke flate, vakre steiner på stranda eller i naturen, og borre hull selv. Absolutt noe jeg kommer til å tenke på. 

I am thinking that stone buttons might be an idea for something to make at home?

Picking beautiful pebbles of suitable shapes on the beach or in nature, and drill holes in them. I will think about that.

Blog award.

Datacreata fra bloggen Frugal in Norfolk har gitt meg One Lovely Blog Award.

Tusen takk :)

Det er veldig hyggelig å høre at noen leser og liker bloggen min.

Datacreata over at Frugal in Norfolk has nominated me for One Lovely Blog Award.

Thank you so much :)

It is so nice that someone reads and enjoys my blog.

Reglene er:

Takk den som ga deg awarden, fortell 7 ting om deg selv og gi awarden videre til 15 andre blogger.

7 ting om meg:

 

 Jeg liker faktisk å klippe gressplenen.

Jeg går aldri på kafè og drikker kaffe for det synes jeg er kjedelig.

Jeg er veldig glad i sommerfugler.

Jeg har bestemt meg for at jeg aldri skal klippe håret kort.

Jeg mediterer hver dag.

Av alt godteri er sjokolade det eneste jeg liker, men det er jeg til gjengjeld veldig glad i.

Jeg er ytterst fascinert av steinsirkler, og min drøm er å skrive en bok om alle steinsirklene som finnes i Norge (håper ingen stjeler ideen min nå :-D).

 

 

There are rules which go with the award - thank the person who nominated you, list 7 things about yourself and pass the award on to 15 others.

7 things about me:

 

 I actually enjoy mowing the lawn in my garden.

I never go out to a cafe to have a cup of coffee, because I find that kind of boring.

I love butterflies.

I am determined never to cut my hair short.

I meditate every day.

I really love chocolate, in fact it is the only candy I like.

I am utterly fascinated by stone circles, and my dream is to write a book about the stone circles in Norway.

 

 

Så skal jeg gi denne awarden videre, og da har jeg (som jeg bruker å gjøre) valgt å gi den videre til bare en blogg. Dette er en veldig koselig blogg om hage, inneplanter og dyr på et småbruk.
 

Now I am supposed to nominate other bloggers for the award. I am going to nominate only one, and that is a very nice blog about the garden, indoor plants and animals on a small farm.

Drømmehagen til Gulltann.

Sunday.

I fjor sommer sådde jeg sitronsteiner som spirte og vokste til små planter.

Jeg var usikker på hvordan de ville gå med de gjennom høst og vinter, men de klarte vinteren i vinduskarmen overraskende fint og beholdt bladene gjennom hele den mørke årstiden.

Sitronplantene har hele tiden stått i de små pottene de ble sådd i, og nå har jeg sett at røttene var begynt å bli så store at de grodde ut gjennom pottene. Dermed var det tid for ompotting.

I dag har mine tre små sitronplanter blitt flyttet over i større potter og fått mer jord rundt røttene.

Last summer I planted some lemon seeds from a store bought lemon. The seeds sprouted and grew to little plants.

I was not sure how they would do during autumn and winter, but luckily the lemon plants made it nicely through the dark seasons, with every green leaves intact.

The lemon plants have untill now grown in the small pots in which they were sowed, but recently I noticed that the roots had started growing out through the bottom of the pots. So it was time to repot the plants.

Today my small lemon plants were repotted into bigger pots with more soil and more room for the roots.

Fine :) Og veldig artig å ha dyrket de frem selv fra frø.

Jeg vet ikke om de kan komme med sitroner etterhvert som de vokser seg større, men jeg håper det.

So nice :) And seing them grow from seeds is very rewarding.

I'm not sure whether they will grow lemons eventually as they grow bigger, but I hope so.

Jeg har også silt to likører i dag. De ble laget av vodka og frukt/bær fra hagen for noen uker siden.

Den til venstre er rabarbralikør og den røde til høyre er jordbær og rabarbra-likør.

Jordbær+rabarbra-likøren var nydelig, mens den andre ikke var like umiddelbart god... Men det er jo mulig smaken kommer seg litt etter at den har stått og modnet seg litt?

Ha en flott ny sommeruke :)

I have also strained two liqueurs today. They were made from vodka and fruits/berries from my garden some weeks ago.

The one on the left is rhubarb liqueur, and the red one to the right is strawberry and rhubarb liqueur.

The strawberry+rhubarb liqueur was delicious, while the other one did not taste like a immediate succsess... I hope it gets better after resting for some months.

Have a great new summer week :)

Homemade lipbalm.

I dag har det blåst og regnet som en skikkelig høststorm. 

Ikke vær til å gjøre noe i hagen, og det ser ut til at de fleste urtene jeg hadde planer om å høste regner bort.

Istedet har jeg heklet litt ekstra i dag, og bunken med bestemorruter vokser :)

I ettermiddag har jeg laget leppepomade. Hjemmelaget leppepomade er enkelt og raskt å lage, og virker mye bedre enn de man får kjøpt i butikken.

Vanligvis lager jeg leppepomade av bivoks og solsikkeolje, som blir en nydelig leppepomade med god virkning, men i dag har jeg prøvd ut en ny og litt mer avansert oppskrift.  

30 g bivoks, 45 g kokosnøttolje, 15 gram sheasmør og 30 g jojobaolje.

Today has been rainy and windy, it's been like a real autumn storm.

No day for working in the garden or for picking herbs. (Now it seems that most herbs I was planning to harvest are lost to the rain).

Instead I have done more crochet today, and the pile of granny squares is growing :)

In the evening I made lip balm. Homemade lip balm is quick and easy to make, and in my opinion it work much better than store bought ones.

I use to make lip balm from just beeswax and sunflower oil, which is very nice, but today I tried a new recipe with more ingredients.

1 oz beeswax 1,5 oz coconut oil, 0,5 oz shea butter, 1 oz jojoba oil.

Bivoks, kokosnøttolje og sheasmør smeltes over vannbad.

Melt the beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter in a double boiler.

Når det er smeltet tilsett jojobaoljen, rør godt og ta av varmen. (Tilsett evt om ønsket noen dråper essensiell olje. Jeg tilsatte appelsinolje).

Once melted add the jojoba oil. Stir well and remove from the stove. (Add some drops of essential oil of your choice of desired. I added essential orange oil).

Helles raskt på tuber og settes til avkjøling.

La avkjøles helt før korkene settes på.

Etter litt klin fikk jeg til slutt fylt 23 tuber. Resultatet ser fint ut, og de dufter nydelig :)

Leppepomadene bør oppbevares i kjøleskap for best holdbarhet.

Pour quickly into containers.

Let cool off completely before putting the caps on the containers.

It filled 23 lip balm containers. Pouring into the containers is always a bit messy, but the result was very nice, and they have a lovely scent :)

Homemade lip balms should be stored in the fridge for best durability.

Sunshine Award.

Since my last blogpost I have been so lucky to be awarded with two blog awards :)

I will start with this one from the lovely Karisma in Australia; the Sunshine award.

We have had so much rain and wind here lately, so this ray of sunshine is a delight now :)

Thank you so much!!!

.

Karisma is a  very talented crafter, and I love visiting her blog to see her knit and crochet projects. Love her writing to, her posts always make me smile and feel cheerful :) Make sure you all stop by her blog to see her beautiful work!
.
http://karismaskraft.blogspot.com

In receiving this award we are asked to list some of our favourite things.

Favourite animal?

My two favourite animals of all:

My darling cat and dog :)

I love animals! I have always been a cat person, but have become very fond of dogs too after we got one of our own.

My favourite wild animals are the lynx and wolf. And I love owls!!

Favourite drink?

Coffee.

Followed by water and tea.

Favourite number?

4.

Facebook or Twitter?

I'm not on Twitter. I haven't been on Facebook either untill recently, but in March I finally got a Facebook account... I was a bit doubtful about it, but as my eldest daughter is going to school in another part of the country in autumn it will be nice to keep in touch through Facebook and see how she is doing.

I also must say that it is fun to follow the Facebook postings of family and friends :)

My passions:

Gardening, herbs, organic growing, nature, plant dyes, crystals, healing, runes....

Favourite pattern?

Don't think I have one.

Giving or getting?

Actually I like both :)

Favourite flower?

I love all flowers, but two favourites are lily-of-the valley and honeysuckle. Love the scents :)

Favourite country?

Oh, this is a difficult one to answer...

There are so many beautiful countries with their own special charm and style. I liked visiting Greece, and would like to see more places there, especially the historic sites. I also enjoy each visit to Denmark, love the friendly and relaxed atmosphere there :)

The Sunshine Award can be awarded to ten favourite blogs, but I am going to nominate only one, and that is:

Ingvild

It is always a pleasure to visit Ingvild's blog Kreativ lycke/Creative happiness. As the title of her blog sais, she is a very creative young woman, and it is great fun to read about her many different projects and her beautiful garden.

Your blog deserves the Sunshine Award, Ingvild, and thank you for all your inspirational posts!

Ingvild writes her blog in Norwegian and English, so stop by to have a look :)

Knit Tag.

Kristin over at KH Handcrafts knit-tagged me. Here you have five knitting-related questions she asks me:

1. Are you always happy with your FO's (finished objects)?
Well, I think I am mostly. When knitting I usually take the secure way, and do simple projects that are not so likely to go wrong. I seldom knit large items.


2. Are you sometimes so disappointed that you frog everything and start a new project?
Why? Colour? Yarn? Making? Too small? Too large?
Yes that definately happens sometimes.
My last frogged project was a shawl which I did not find to develop nicely. I have no plans to pick it up again, and will probably undo it and knit something else by the yarn.


3. Do you wear your knits or do they end up at the bottom of a cupboard? If so, why?
How do they age after being washed and worn?
Yes I wear my knits, and I often find them to look and feel better after being washed and worn.


4. Do you always make a swatch?
No.
Actually I can't recall ever making one...


5. Finally, would you rather work with some yarns you know well rather than others to avoid bad surprises?
I like experimenting with different kinds of yarn, however it has lead to some surprises in the past... But I also do have favourite yarns that I use more than other yarns.



Now I would like to knit tag Datacreata, Karisma and Mary Lena :)

Å spå sommerværet :-)

Hvordan blir sommerværet i år tro?

Et gammelt vær-ordtak sier at:

"Eik før ask gir plask.

Ask før eik gir steik".

Nå springer både eik og ask. Omtrent på likt, men det ser ut til at eika er kommet litt lenger.

Ifølge ordtaket skal det altså bli mer regn enn sol i sommer her jeg bor...

Vi får se om det stemmer :-)

What will the weather be like this summer?

In earlier times the summer weather was predicted by an old rhyme:

(I googled and found a similar one in English)

"Oak before ash, in for a splash.

Ash before oak, in for a soak". 

Both the ash trees and the oak trees are opening their leaves now, and it seems that oak is in the lead.

According to the rhyme we can, where I live, expect much rain this summer...

We'll just wait and see how it turns out :-)

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day 2012!

www.magickalgraphics.com

Mari Boine - Gula gula (Hear the voices of the foremothers).
Sung in Sami.
Pictures from around the world.
Enjoy :)




Lyrics translation:

Gula gula (Hear the voices of the foremothers)

Hear the voices of the foremothers
Hear
They ask you why you let the earth become polluted
Poisoned
Exhausted
They remind you where you come from
Do you hear?
Again they want to remind you
That the earth is our mother
If we take her life
We die with her

A beautiful gift, and thank yous :)

Mange takk til alle som har vært innom bloggen min i det siste, og til dere som har lagt igjen kommentarer.
Nå er det jammen lenge siden siste blogginnlegg, så da passer det jo fint å ha noe hyggelig å fortelle :)

Jeg må rette mange tusen takk til Crystalrainbow på bloggen Sparkle and shine for den flotte giveawayen hun holdt for følgerne på bloggen sin for en drøy måned siden. Premien var en nydelig seremonistav som Crystalrainbow hadde laget selv.

Den heldige og lykkelige vinneren av Crystalrainbows giveaway ble meg, og jeg er så glad :)


Many thanks to everyone visiting here lately, and to those who took time to leave comments.
It has been a while since my last blogpost, so now it is nice to have something wonderful to share :)

I have to say a million thanks to Crystalrainbow over at Sparkle and shine for the lovely giveaway she held for the followers of her blog in February/March. The giveaway was for a beautiful ceremonal wand made by Crystalrainbow herself.

The lucky and happy winner of the giveaway was me, and I am so happy :)

Seremonistaven er av eføy, den har en spiss av bergkrystall og skaftet er vakkert dekorert og pyntet. Nydelig håndtverk, og en kraftfull og magisk stav. Perfekt i alle detaljer! Det går ikke å gjengi på bildene hvor flott den er i virkeligheten, men jeg har gjort et forsøk.

The wand is made from ivy, it has a quartz crystal tip and beautiful decorations and ornaments. An amazing piece of work, and a powerful and magical wand. Perfect in every detals!
I have tried photographing it and I hope the photos do it justice.

Virkelig en magisk seremonistav, laget av en superdyktig, kreativ og talentfull kvinne!! Tusen takk Crystal, jeg er så glad!!

Ta turen innom Sparkle and shine for mer inspirasjon :)

Truly a magical ceremonial wand, made by a creative and talented woman!! Thank you so much Crystal, I am thrilled!!

Stop by Sparkle and shine for lots if inspirational posts :)

The Versatile Blogger Award.

Wow, I have been nominated for another blog award, the Versatile Blogger Award.

Many thanks to Datacreata over at the blog Frugal in Norfolk :)

I'm honoured, and I'm so glad you like my blog!

The Versatile blogger award rules are:  that you should pass it on to 15 blogs you thoroughly like to read, and let the bloggers know they have been nominated.

Then you have to share seven things about yourself.

Finally you have to thank the award giver and link back to them.

Though there are many blogs I love to read, I am bending the rules a little here, and nominate two bloggers for the award:

Sasha at http://sashafitzgerald.blogspot.com

Sasha is a talented and creative young lady who makes fashion jewelry and is a fantasy illustrator. Sasha's blog is also her art journal, and I enjoy seing her work and following her creative journey.

She is also a very kind and friendly person :)

Kristin at http://kh-handcrafts.blogspot.com

Kristin is another creative lady, who is very nice and friendly. She is a skilled knitter and makes many beautiful knitted items. She also dyes yarn with plant materials. It is always so nice to stop by her blog to see her latest work :) 

 

Seven things about me:

I am 40, married and mother to three (two girls and a boy).

My family is very important to me.

I love spending time in nature and in my garden. Being as close to nature as I can gives me balance.

I love to read. I read more or less everything, but prefer books on my favorite subjects, which are gardening, herbs, history and crystals.

I love to learn too, and I have just started on a one year's study of the runes. It's very interesting :)

 

February - history and folklore.

Da er vi allerede over i februar måned.
Her kommer et lite utvalg historie og folketro om februarmåned, hentet fra boka "Hva dagene vet" av Sverre Østen:

I gammel tid hadde vi periodene Torre (13.01-11.02) og Gjø (12.2-13.3).
Navnet Gjø stammer fra sagnkvinnen Goa, av Snø den gamles ætt. Hun var datter av Torre. Torre betyr barfrost, og han var en av de det ble ofret til ved midtvintersblotet.

Blidemåned var også et gammelnorsk navn på februar.

We have already entered the month of February.
Here is a small excerpt of  Nordic history and folklore about February, from the book "What the days know" by Sverre Østen:

The ancinet names for this periode of the year were Torre (January 13th-February 11th) and Gjø (Feb. 12th-March 13th).
The name Gjø comes from the legend of the woman Goa, of Snow the old's decendants. She was the daughter of Torre. Torre means 'bare frost', and he was among those to whom the ancient Midwinter feast was celebrated.

An other old Norwegian name for February is Blide month (blide = happy or cheerful).

Februar hadde tre farlige dager man måtte passe seg for; 11., 17. og 18.
På disse dagene måtte man ikke gifte seg, for da mislyktes ekteskapet.
Det kunne bli vanskelig å helbredes hvis man ble syk på en av disse dagene.
Man skulle heller aldri flytte eller begynne i ny jobb på en av disse dagene, for da skulle man alltid være bedrøvet.

Dagene 1., 3., 10., 19. og 21. var utmerkede dager for bryllup, for disse dagene var kvinnene ømme og kjærlige.

Den 1. februar var en uheldig dag for låning, så da måtte man aldri låne noe eller låne bort noe.

February have been considered to have three dangerous days, on which it was important to watch out; the 11th, 17th and 18th.
Any marriage commited on these dates would fail.
If a person got ill on these dates, the illness would be difficult to heal.
One should also never move or start a new job on one of these dates, because it would lead to sorrow.

February 1st, 3rd, 10th, 19th and 21st, however, were excellent dates for weddings, as on these days the women were tender and loving.

The first day of February was an unlucky day for borrowing items or lending away, so that needed to be avoided.

På den 2. februar, Kyndelsmess, ble det sagt at bjørnen snudde seg i hiet.
Og at "så dyp snøen er denne dagen, så langt blir gresset sankthans".

Den 3. februar, Blåsmesse, ble det blåst liv i alle dyr i dvale og i vekster. Men også i alskens andre skapninger som trollene, så det var best å passe seg denne dagen.
Nordpå lot folk brenne alle sopelimer, ellers kunne de vente storm omtrent hele året.
Hvis man fant morgendugg denne dagen, og vasket seg med det ville man få vakker hud.
Men mildvær denne dagen betydde også at det ble mye troll i bærtiden.

Dersom man hugget trær i Blidemåned skulle tømmeret være godt egnet til husbygging.

On Candlemass, the 2nd of February, the hibernating bears were said to turn around inside their caves.
A weather saying is that "as deep as the snow is on Candlemass, is as high the grass will be on Midsummer's day".

On February 3rd, it was said that new life blew into any hibernating animal and into every plant. But into other creatures as well, like the trolls, so people had better watch out.
In the northern parts of Norway all brooms should be burnt today, or else there would be stormes all throughout the year.
If one found morning dew today, and cleaned the body with it, one would get beautiful skin.
But mild weather on this day also meant there would be many trolls to see during the berry picking season.

Trees that were chopped down during February made excellent timber for house building.

Dette var en måned der kulda kunne forårsake mye sykdom, og man måtte holde seg varm for å bevare sunnheten. Folk ble rådet til å få i seg mye varm mat og drikke.

Om det frøs på natten den 22. februar kunne man vente tretti dagers frost.

Et gammelt vær-ord sier at "dersom Torre er mild vil Gjø være mildere. Og om Torre er hard vil Gjø være hardere".

During February the cold and chill could cause a lot of illness, and people needed to do their best to stay warm in order to keep their health. An important advice was to consume plenty of hot food and drinks.

If the night of the 22nd was frosty, there could be expected frost over the next thirty days.

An ancient weather saying is that "if Torre is mild, Gjø will be milder. And if Torre is hard, Gjø will be harder".

Trollkors / Troll cross.

En av gangene jeg var ute og handlet julegaver før jul kom jeg over amuletten på bildet under.

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Det er et trollkors.

Some weeks ago, while I was in town to buy some Christmas gifts, I came across the amulet in the photo below.
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It is a troll cross.

Trollkorset stammer fra den skandinaviske magiske tradisjonen, og skal i følge gammel folklore beskytte mot ondsinnet troll og annet skrømt.

Trollkorsene må være laget av jern, for det tåler ikke trollene, og korsformen forsterker effekten av amuletten.

Trollkors har tidligere blitt brukt i skandinavia til å beskytte mennesker, dyr og bygninger.

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The troll cross belongs to the old tradition of Scandinavian magic, and according to the folklore it protects against evil trolls and other creatures of the underworld.

The troll cross should be made from iron, because the trolls can not stand iron, and the cross shape makes it into a strong protective amulet.

The troll cross has all across Scandinavia been used in protection of people, animals and buildings.

Det er ikke ofte man finner trollkors i salg i dag, så naturligvis måtte jeg kjøpe ett til meg selv i førjulsgave :)

Jeg skal henge det i et kjede og ha det på meg neste gang jeg skal i skogen, så slipper jeg å være redd for å treffe på ett av disse:

Today troll crosses are rarely found in stores, so of course when finding one I had to buy it (as an early Christmas gift for myself).
I will put it on a chain and wear it the next time I go for a walk in the woods, so I do not have to worry about meeting one of these:

 

"Skogstroll", Theodor Kittelsen.

"Forest troll", Theodor Kittelsen.

:-)