Well we've just had a weeks break at our summerhouse, and we're nearing completion, so much so that we actually had a few days without working on it. All the dusty building work is finished now, so we've cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned - its amazing how much it takes to clean up after all the building work we've done. But we've now moved in almost properly, we've got a sofa, table, chairs, bed - all in; the only thing missing is the kitchen, which'll be built next we're up, but thankfully that shouldn't make as much mess as the other stuff we've done - so hurrah. I'd put a picture in too, but our camera is very fussy over which batteries it likes (got to have lots of power) so we couldn't take any pictures :( But heres a picture from when we first bought it (I really look forwards to summer again)
Duncan

Nu hvor jeg var ved at fortælle om mine vægge er der egentlig to andre ting, som giver varme. Det første er en lyskæde i et af vores store, og ligenu mørke, vinduer. Den gi'r et urtoligt rart lys. Ikke særligt stjernehimmel-agtigt....Men rart. Den anden ting er en ikon, som jeg efter at have kigget på den i to år, nu har købt. Jeg så den første gang da Duncan og jeg var i Rom. Det, der først faldt mig ind som usædvanligt er at Jesus barnet sidder på Josef's halvdel af billedet. Og så synes jeg der er en utrolig ømhed og helhed i billedet. Det hænger i min nye krog. Her har jeg et lille skrivebord og alle mine bøger. Både skole-studiebøger og andagt-"studie"bøger.

// Seeing as I was telling about my walls, there's two other things. The first one is the fairylights I've bought and put up in one of the big windows of the living room. It gives such a nice, warm light. The other thing is an icon I have bought now, after looking at it for two years. I saw it when Duncan and I were in Rome. The thing that caught my eye about it is the fact that the Christ child is om Joseph's half of the picture. And then I find such an immense sense of tenderness and wholeness in the picture. It hangs on the wall in my corner of the living room. I've got a little desk there, and all mu books - both for study and for relaxing.

At male på væggen og andre finurligheder .... Sidste weekend blev en finurlig weekend. Fordi vi gjorde nogle usædvanlige ting. Torsdag tog vi på skovtur på stranden med varm kakao om aftenen i frost og blæst. Det var MEGET koldt. Og det var ikke så romantisk, snarere sjovt. Men Holly nød det, og der var noget rart ved at gøre noget skørt. Senere torsdag aften blev vi inviteret på aftensmad i Hjørring hos min nærmest-kusine Lene, som skulle have barnedåb søndag. Lasse ( min lillebror) og hans kæreste skulle stå fadder. Og fordi det var søndag, og vi ikke havde haft så længe til at gøre det anderledes og det ene med det andet, gjorde at vi ikke kunne være med til dåben, hvilket jeg var ked af. SÅ derfor tog vi imod invitationen til aftensmad fredag. Som Duncan retorisk spurgte: "Hvad er mest skørt: At tage på stranden i frost eller at køre 400 km for aftensmad?" Det blev en rigtig hyggelig aften!! Lene og Rene er både hyggelige og sjove mennesker, og det er Lasse og Maria også.

Lørdag morgen kom et par fra menigheden i Vejle hjem med deres lille søn fra Etiopien. Det var meget, og det skulle vi selvfølgelig være med til. Desværre var de en time forsinket fra Frankfurt, og det betød at Duncan var nødt til at køre igen inden de landede, for han skulle være i Holstebro kl. 15.00 fora t planlægge en lejr for teenagere ... Men jeg var med hele vejen og så både deres glæde og den lilles ro ved synet af alle de her mennesker, som stod med flag i hænderne og tårer i øjnene. Der er noget meget stærkt ved oprigtigt at dele andres glæde!

Vel hjemme igen blev jeg enig med mig selv om at vores vægge er for hvide, så jeg bestemte mig for - sådan helt diskret - at male lidt på en af dem. Måske bli'r det til mere en gang? Det gav en vis glæde at bryde konformiteten og gøre noget som jeg ellers for 20 år siden ville være blevet skældt ud for ... Jeg husker stadig hvor uimponerer især min far var da jeg havde kradset et kunstværk på hans klaver - det kan stadig ses, hvis det skulle have interesse ;-)

Søndag var der gospelgudstjeneste i Vejle med medlemsoptagelse! Duncan var jo i Holstebro og sluttede af der - det endte med noget rollespil i marts for de nyligt konfirmerede... Og søndag aften lå jeg foran fjernsynet mens han holdt meditativ gudstjeneste i Esbjerg.

Nu må I ikke blive alt for forpustede over denne her weekend (Selvom jeg blev det lige i tawe') Det er alt sammen gået meget godt. Vi har gået nogle lange ture sammen og sovet længe, og så er det egentlig landet meget godt. Denne her weekend er også fyldt, men både lørdag og søndag aften er frie - så det er dejligt! Og om en uge? Ja, så har vi ferie! //A Peculiar Weekend Last weekend was a peculiar weekend. BEcuase we did peculiar things. Thursday we went to the beach with hot chocolate in frost and strong wind. It was VERY cold. As you can tell from my red nose. It wasn't romantic - more funny. But Holly enjoyed it. And there was somethign nice about douing something so silly! Later Thursday evening we were invited to come to Hjørring (up north) for dinner Friday evening. My cousin, Lenes daughter was getting bepatized on Sunday, but for various reason we couldn't be there - which I could have really liked to be. So we accepted the invitation. As Duncan said "I don't know what's most cracy - picnic in the dark and cold or driving 400 km. to get dinner?" As it turned out it was a really nice evening.

Saturday morning we went to the airport to meet and greet a couple from the congregation in Vejle, who returned from Ethiopia with their son. Unfortunately they were an hour late from Frankfurt, and that meant Duncan had to leave before they arrived. He had to go to a planning meeting for a teenage camp later this spring. But I was there and saw both their great joy and the little boys calm at the sight of all these people with flags in their hands and tears in their eyes. There is something very powerful about sharing other's joy.
At home again I concluded that yes, our walls are just too white. So I painted - descretely, off course - on one of them. It felt good to challenge conformity, and do something that 20 years ago I would've been told off for. I can still remember just how unimpressed my dad was when I had scratched a little masterpiece on his pianio. It's still there to be seen, should you be interested.;-)

Sunday there was a gospelservice in Vejle where new members were accepted into the congregation. Duncan was off planning, and in the evening, when I was lying in front of the telly, he was in Esbjerg doing a meditative service there.
Please, don't gett o out of breath at the sound of all this (although I my self was at the time) It all went well, we've been for some good walks this week, have had a lie in, and this weekend, althoug busy, at least we're inthe same place. And in a weeks time? Well, that's holiday!