Christmas time continued

Hello again. This time I'm reporting from Trondheim, where my mother lives. We came here the 27th and we are going to stay until the 2nd of January. I'm blogging on a really slow connection and was very excited if I would be able to upload images at all, but that went fairly well. I'm also using another imaging program and don't know if the image quality is as well as I think it should be. But nevertheless, I wanted to share some of the Christmas projects I've made for my mother earlier.

The potholders was made with the Tri-Recs ruler and is the only project I ever finished with that one. I'm not a fan about those fast-and-easy rulers which promise you quick and accurate piecing, and I have stopped nuying them. I own only a couple sets. Maybe I will try them sometimes later, but for now I prefer to handpiece this shape.

The second project originates from a wallhanging I once saw. It had lovely tulip blocks and I tried to memorize them for later use. I'm not sure if I remembered it correctly, but this Christmas version isn't bad at all, I think. I've made an Advent version also.

Christmas time is a time for games and fun. We play a game that's known as Ludo here in Norway, I don't know the English name, but you can see how the inner center of the board looks. This was the final result of today's game and if you wonder who won, it was my DH (who played with the yellow pieces).


Inga

It's Christmas Time!

It's time to sit down and review this year's Christmas. In Norway, we continue the celebration tomorrow also, but the most serious part of the celebration is over. When I was a child, Christmas Day wasn't something dealed (dealt?)with easily. We were never allowed to go out and play with other kids. It was a family day. We 've kept it like that this year also, visiting a my husbands aunt and an uncle of him that I've never seen before. He's a musician like both my husband and I, so it was really nice to finally meet him. (My husband and I have been together for more than 13 years.)

As you may know, our main celebration here in Norway is Christmas Eve. We had a nice dinner and then we handed out the gifts. We gave my father-in-law a creative present. He got needles and yarns and he started almost immediately to work on the scarf I prepared. He's 88 years old and I think he's a really good sport taking the challenge I've given him.

When it comes to my crafting, I'm not doing much. I even left home without anything to do. I needed a break. That break lasted for two days. So now I'm crocheting plate coasters. I hope to make at least 4 within the next week.

Have a nice Christmas everyone!


Inga

Finally!

There are alot of 'Finallys' to report today. First of all, I'm blogging again. Have not felt like blogging at all lately. In fact, haven't felt like doing much at all for the last two weeks. I blame it on the Polar Nights. They have affected me more than usual, so next year I'll be more prepared. But now I'm back! Hopefully on a more regular blogging basis.

Today we finally got some snow also. When we woke up this morning, the ground was covered with 4 inches of snow. We went for a walk and it continued to snow for the hour our walk lasted. The weather forecast antecipates that it will disappear on Tuesday, but they've been wrong before....

Another 'Finally' is holiday. I played the last Military Church Service on Thursday and gave the last lessons on Friday. There is only a gathering with my students for pizza and soda on Tuesday, but I do not count that as work :-) Now I have two and a half weeks of just practicing by myself. No teaching, no rehearsals and no concerts.


And finally there is quilting progress. I've worked on my Dear Jane and made several blocks. On the picture you see how my Dear Jane looks at the moment. If you want to take a closer look at each block, please visit my website.


Inga

My new voice

Meet my new voice! (picture from www.selmer.fr). The picture shows what I went to Oslo, the capitol of Norway, yesterday to collect. My old bassclarinet was 10 years old and marked after several years of solid use. So earlier this year I applied to my employees to substitute it with a new instrument. I also applied for a new Bb-clarinet and to my pleasure, I was granted both. Since I mostly play the bass, I decided to deal with that first. So when an instrument maker I know went to Paris earlier this week, he got the mission to find a really good instrument for me. He came home with two, and yesterday I travelled down to Oslo to audition them. I liked one of them more than the other and decided to go for it. It's scary though to take that decision. It's not a cheap instrument and for me it has to be able to express my musical intentions and feelings. So I hope I can be comfortable with this new voice of mine.

I haven't started practicing on it yet. Had to play a military cermon in a church 120 kilometres from here today, but tomorrow I will spend alot of time with the work of art that an instrument of this quality is.

Because the instrument came out cheaper than expected, there was some money left over. I've bought new mouthpieces, reeds and other accesories that will help me find my new musical voice.


And if you wonder about my quilting, I will get back to it someday soon....



Inga