Joy of the day!

I was looking for a nice, comfortable black bra. And I learned something. I'm a size smaller than I thought. What a smack in the face! But this one from Simone Perele is amazing, so it's ok. And beside reading Stieg Larsson, I was met by a very nice message just now. We had an open dress rehearsal, and my neighbour downstairs listened. He liked it so much that he put this note on my door!

Stavanger Baroque Ensemble

SBE is having concerts on Thursday (Bethel at 20) and Sunday (Sola Ruinkirke at 18).
Lovely, lovely program!!!

Two cantatas by Handel, a Biber sonata and Vivaldi's Autumn.
And I'm starting to get into the mysterious world of continuo playing! Mostly thanks to Ingrid on the harpsichord. And not to forget the andante bass and Siciliana..
(The harpsichord is a beauty! Made by Max for SSO, and we got to borrow it. A real luxury!)

I'm SO looking forward to play this! Hopefully our precious singer will stay healthy. (She's been feeling weak, but I hope it'll pass. I think she has had too much to do for too long.)

And then I've been shopping a bit. With new look comes a craving for something to go with it...
I found my jacket!!!
Mango saved me, but now I can't find a picture of it anywhere... Will take one some day and put it out here so you can see. I just love it!! <3

My baby!

It's here!!!

Look, isn't it just cute?
MSI

Now! Take a look at it :)
I've got the red version, of course...

Look!

And then we met Islam who taught mea how to put on this scarf. Don't I look kind of cute? Wonder if I should turn muslim.. Well, maybe not.

Shopping

With my incredibly pink sister. Did I say pink?

Being social

After several days of solitude, I have a day out with Cissi. We're drinking coffee and shopping a bit. And look at my new sunglasses! Haha, new style.

Treat!

Eivind and I are out in the city to get stuff for our mountain walk tomorrow, plus additional paint for our terrace. We passed by Sjokoladepiken for a treat. Yum!

Puzzle time!!

While trying to entertain my "mother-in-law" (apart from making her laugh out loud with my attempts on composing sentences in her language, with an English-Slovak pocket dictionary for guidance, saying everything in infinitive) I remembered my other summer project:
Puzzling my tiny 12000 pieces Ravensburger puzzle. (The first project seems impossible since I can't find Baumgartners book of how to realize the basso continuo parts.)
I bought a puzzle stow-and-go thingummyjig!

Puslespillmatte

I just hope it's big enough. (The whole lot is divided into 3 smaller puzzles.)

Shopping!

I managed to convince these two to accompany me on my shopping today. I wanted a summer dress, some shoes (light ones, no heel) a wedding gift for Sigurd and Anne Sigrid, and on top of this: not be alone. Eivind is somewhat allergic to shopping, but with this treat I think it was worth it...

Windmills on the roof

Mum wants to be environmently friendly. How many of there would she need to light up her house? Would 2 on the roof be sufficient?

Morning coffee and after-work-shopping

This morning I thought I'd be up at a decent time and have a slow morning before work at 11. But, 8.30 I got a nice message from Ingvild - she was in town (her son was not fully recovered from his eye-catarrh) and wanted to do something. We decided a morning coffee was a good idea. So - I jumped out of bed, ran around to get my things and cello, brushed my teeth and rushed out of the house just after the bus should have departed. (It is always late, but still - I was a wee bit lucky.)
We had a great hour or so at Stockfleths with coffee, sandwiches and water next to her sons caviar-slices. He got a bit wriggly after a while, the doors were very cool and the staircase too interesting. But when he hit his jaw on the table (fell down from his chair) he was very brave ineed!


Mother and child, just after the accident. No sad faces!

On our way out, we met another "Samfundet" voluntair - Andreas, who followed me to the bridge over to the Opera house.
After todays rehearsal of what the solo cellist described as "silly, silly ballett music", we went to the Opera Shop. Dad had told me they had a sale (50% off) on music and books - and bags! so this is what I ended up buying:



Location: home
Mood: ok, but hungry
Eating: I wish
Drinking: ---
Listening to: Sprint, cross country from Trondheim (radio)

IKEA...

It's hardly a secret that I really hate IKEA. At least on saturdays. I think it has something to do with all the people. Stressed parents, wild aunts crazy to get the cheap offers, men pretending the shopping wagon is a ferrari, screaming kids... an inferno of noises and limbs. And then it's impossible to get around without bumping into anyone or get run over. Wherever there's a huge crowd of people, you can be sure I'm not. SO - in short: it's not the place for me.
But, yesterday it was ok! We even managed to buy something!! Well, we didn't buy it - we went back today to pick it up. A mistake. I hated it again today.


Robi and I having a rest after struggling through the masses

But as a treat we bought a stuffed rabbit, now called Trupik. (Norwegians, read it as Tropik.) He sits on our sofa, on top of a luxurious, wine red filt. He looks like a king!

After our adventures through IKEA and the city (had to buy a microwave for Rob and other things too) we came home for some puzzle. IKEA puzzle, of course. Amazingly enough it went pretty well. At least better that hanging up the blinds... We need to borrow some electric drill with a long arm (or whatever it's called).

But it all ended well, and we enjoy our Munkholm, crisps and last weeks Top Gear. It really feels like a home now, sitting in our sofa, surrounded by plants, table with 4 chairs around, filts, curtains, (not a carpet yet) microwave, coffee maschine (my old one, but it's superb), water kettle, musicstand with all gadgets I need, TV on and Robi by my side. *sigh*


The dining table from Åse and Arne, with IKEA chairs


:)

Location: In my livingroom
Mood: Happy!
Eating: Cheese Doodles (haha, Robi hates the smell! Can't blame him)
Drinking: Munkholm
Listening to: the TV

A normal day, so to say

Mum is always on the run. It's either students, work, errands for the grannies or shopping of some sort. Today was no different. This was our schedule:

• Breakfast, then did the dishes (no washing machine!)
• Planned tomorrow with my grandma, who is going to have an eye-operation.
• Went to the opera to buy some tickets. Here we took our time, running through the house. I found my first payslip from them so I got very exited! and then I was exited again when I visited the public toilets
• Ran up Karl Johan (our main shopping-street) to get a book I've ordered.
• We managed to stop by some of the more expensive shops to have a peek at the things for sale, and mum bought a very sweet dress. For work. 70% off and *hepp* she has a designer dress from Karen Millen for what you usually pay for a dress form H&M! I found a really nice winter jacket, woolen, with a great cut! I feel Ive been shopping a little too much lately but my mum said "I'd buy that straight away". Thank you mum!!
• Home to make dinner, checked out the car policies and then she ran off to have students before work.
• I'm home, practicing a bit, and now sitting in the kitchen (wireless broadband. Fancy!) drinking tea and writing.

Ah, and I'm quite frustrated with the high-tech mobiles!!! Why, why can't I download another language for my phone?? Just because it's not a "smartphone" (like any phone can be smart...)
Arrrgh! I'm struggling to write Slovak messages (with a language not much better than a 1 year old) through the Croatian T9. How fun is that?


Here's the fantastic toilet at the new opera house. It's small, but still great. The tiles at the walls are actually art!

Location: Home in the kitchen
Drinking: Green jasmine tea
Mood: Content but annoyed
Listen to: Cello-music in my head
Tribute to Helene!

The First One!

Sitting in Hotel Caledonien in Kristiansand and writing my first blogentry ever. And I feel quite nervous! I feel more nervous about this than the "sing-along"-concert we're going to do in the Cathedral here 19.30. Psalms with full orchestra, (well, it's a small one, but still), organ and hopefully the whole audience.

I have spent my few last days here with Lene (hornplayer). She is the second reason why I have started to blogg... (she is Frøken Aadalen in person) We have practiced, had lunches, visited sweet cafés (our favorite is a cuban one. There she eventually had her first real coffee! I'm wicked!!), gone shopping (she's quite wicked too. Especially when it comes to shoes...) listened to concerts - from DJ's to baroque. In other words, enjoyed ourselves.

An absolutely lovely pair of shoes I never thought I'd buy.

We played a concert on wednesday too. "The Paradise and The Peri" by Schumann. And there was a convention afterwards with "finger-foods" ,wine and speeches. We had opened the the international church music festival.. (www.kirkefestspill.no) I got the conductors flower! It has been a great detail in my hotel room!! Thank you :)