Scent Of Sulphur

A s some dimwits already think it's 2014 (Fireworks are shooting out their wazoos!) I feel it's more than appropriate to  wish you all an amazing new years eve! 2 013 showed its abnormally eerie ass early on & kept on mooning me all year through. The passing of my Grandmother a few days ago kinda topped it all off for me...& even though the world was blessed with her presence for almost a century, it got me thinking that life's precious & oh so fleeting. So although the new year will begin with a funeral I'll be making damn sure that the rest of it will be bloody amazing & that my insatiable wanderlust will be well fed. H ope y'all will have an astonishing 2014! ...don't waste a single moment of it.    ♥ N ew years kisses & hugs from me. ~Linn. " Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." ~Hal Borland.

R eflecting upon 2013 I have to admit that it hasn't been the best of years. It started with high hopes  & expectations & ended with deaths & a rather unhealthy dose of betrayal from close ones...& believe  me - I have a hard enough time trusting people, so this year's events definitely helped fuel that fire.  So here I am at the very end of the year, realizing that I just don't let people in anymore. It's like  they're getting a sneak peak of the preview, but are banned for ever getting to watch the entire  movie. Do I like the privacy it creates? Or do it make me more detached & entangled in my own  misanthropic world view? What has it all taught me? If anything at all it's probably shined a light  on how highly I value loyalty & integrity...& I know it's quite the paradox with me sharing all this stuff here & at  the same time feeling the need of opening more up, but it's true. Cause even with all my dinky medical  issu

T he heart of the most wonderful little lady I know stopped beating today.  T hank you for all the memories, the homemade raspberry jam from the garden, my father, your openness towards me, but most of all thank you for loving my grandfather in such a wonderful way. ~Linn. "Elephants and grandchildren never forget."  ~Andy Rooney.

I get why people urges others not to drink during the holidays. But I have to say that it's gotten to a point where I'm a tad bit aggravated by the huge trigger finger wagging side to side in an admonitory gesture every time I log onto Facebook, Twitter or other social media. Cause not all of us get obliterated drunk every single time we're near alcohol. I personally think it's healthy to show children that it's OK for grown-ups to have a glass of wine or a beer during the holiday dinner. That it doesn't change the behavior of the adults or the overall experience at all. I think it rather takes the edge off this whole demonisation of alcohol consumption. So perhaps the kids that's experiencing this grows up to be less curious about it all & don't feel the need to binge drink during social gatherings. F or those of you that argue the opposite; Well, I assume grown ass people know their limits & don't touch the stuff if they know that one gla

P ast 2 AM & I'm listening to Opeth . Their music usually make me sleepy...in a good lullaby kinda way. My son have a way of pointing out certain things I've lost track of. Like the lack of loud music in our lives. It used to be on almost 24/7. Now we're kinda stuck in our own musical sphere. Separated by cords & plastic devices aka headphones. That's about to change though. The record player is coming out again & so are the stereo. It's strange to covet the smell of old vinyl, but I do...& I miss seeing the 80s records with my brother's initials on them. SENTIMENTAL W ell, I'm hopefully off to la-la-land now. So good night, wherever you may be... ~Linn. "The only guy I have to get better than is who I am right now." ~M*A*S*H, Colonel Potter.

M y youngest niece Sara is just about the sweetest person I know. ...& she definitely deserves to shine in the spotlight.  Courtesy of Joakim Bekkåsen . Courtesy of  Joakim Bekkåsen . I don't usually expose my family like this, but since she's already in the paper I'm taking the liberty of invoking my bragging rights. ;)   Here 's the article about her figure skating club's annual show in our local newspaper Moss Avis .  ~Linn "The most precious jewels are not made of stone, but of flesh." ~Robert Ludlum.

I 've been 35 for a little over 24 hours now...& I kinda have a sense of unease about it. Not the number, but more in regards to the content of my life. I miss all the great things I used to do & experience...& I want more of it. Simple as that. So if I'm still around to celebrate my 36th birthday, I hope I'm writing all about what an amazing journey 35 has been. ;) T he celebrations yesterday isn't much to boost about. But I did get to blow out a few golden candles on a cake with my son beside me...& my mum gave me a bunch of lovely roses & a kiss on my head. In the afternoon Mr. D. took me for a drive & we ended up at a place that could've been the perfect backdrop for a horror movie. Foggy, a dark forest & except for some weed smoking loonies & us it was completely deserted. Besides that I got the best gift ever! With something inside that I associate with friends, festivities & fun. Pardon the sh**ty phone pics, it&#

I t's been a great day. It ended rather amazing with my son taking me to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. A pre-birthday gift & I LOVED it! Picture found at  www.thehobbit.com I love movies that transcends you to another universe for a while... But on a more shallow level I love all the beard & testosterone! Hehe  Pictures found here & here . ;P ~Linn. "I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks." ~William Shakespeare.

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life  that is less than the one you are capable of living."  ~Nelson Mandela. Courtesy of Paul Lovering . S ometimes life's events have a way of putting things back into perspective... Thank you for yet another life lesson, Mr. Nelson.  ~Linn.

I appreciate the religious diversity amongst my friends & family. But, do I go  neutral in my holiday cards or not this year?  I ask because lately it's been such a lot of talk about not offending Muslims, etc. So crosses on buildings they use have been removed & so on. I do believe that when it comes to burial sites we should have some sort of buildings without any religious bearing out of respect. But not if a church have been  there for hundreds of years & are towering landmarks in the community. (I would feel the same about a mosque, temple, etc. I can't stress enough the importance of preserving historical architecture. It's part of our legacy.)  I  do keep asking; If people of other religious beliefs are allowed to heed their  traditions, why shall we give up any of ours? I am heathen, & I have a  healthy amount of respect for other belief systems. But I think it's an awful thought  that any country should remove any part of it's identity

W e've had a lazy Sunday here. Pizza & movies. Not in keeping with the season's spirit. But it was a nice beginning of what seems to be a rather cold month of December. No snow yet though... ~Linn. "In seed-time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy." ~William Blake.

L ast night I fell asleep to the rattling of leaves blowing across the pavement. It was really nice to hear it this morning too. It's like the autumn spirit is sweaping through the streets one final time before winter sets in. But it's not December quite yet, so I'm not waving any white flag of surrender until sunday. Sooo I'm preparing the last harvest feast, nothing big & fancy. Just an intimate & cozy celebration of a wonderful season. Preparing means using ingredients I already have & of course shopping...not my favorite activity in the afternoon, but unfortunately a necessary evil. :P By the end I couldn't almost get out of the car cause of my stupid back... Had to send my son down to my Dad's house to deliver a gift for him. Got him a basket with some bread, spicy butter, cheese, meat, beer, cider, a throw & a silly little card. (Cause I forgot the one I made him at home.) Hope he likes it. :)  O ooh, almost forgot... Here's a sneak p

I feel like I've been spewing out bile for such a long time here. That of course has its reasons. Cause where else am I going to vent? ;) But nonetheless, I need to make a small shift. Get back to curiosity, creativity & get s**t done. Starting tomorrow with finishing off a couple of simple projects. I'll give you a sneak peak in the evening. G onna dive into some travel brochures of Alaska now. I feel drawn towards a secluded lodge somewhere in the Alaskan wilderness. With great hiking trails & howling wolves... Mmm. Definitely going on my bucket list. ;)  Nome , Alaska. H ave a wonderful night (or whatever time of day it is where you are.). :) ~Linn. "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." ~Michelangelo.

Y oung, old, bearded or bald...  Robert Duvall looking quite dashing. ...here's a few things that the manly man in your life might appreciate unwrapping this year.  1. Whiskey Scented Beard Oil 2. Power Bacon Deodorant 3. Knuckle Meat Pounder Ya wanna piece a meat? 4. Duck Dynasty Bib for the little man 5. The Charging Tap 6. Hobo Tin Can Holder easy D.I.Y. if you're broke 7. Fancy Matchbox 8. Beardski   Be the (vi)king of the slopes 9. Revolving doorknob ;) 10. Old Barn Flask 11. Cereal Killer in the family? 12. The Beerd Can Cozy The Beer Buckle is sheer genius! 13. Acoustic Guitar Key 14. Beer Savers 15. Beardalicious  little man   16. iFlask 17. The T-shirt that says it all... 18. Snake Bite Remover for those paper pushing men out there 19. Mustache the bottle Manly Man Soap Set  is an unscented no fuzz kinda gift. Love the 'old look' of it btw. Beer gloves   also great for warm beverages. Get grandma knitting or buy them o

I 'm stuck! I have no clue what to get certain people. So as always I'm trawling the www to find something special for them. I just don't want to end up doing last minute holiday shopping. Cause let's face it, the shops during the holiday is a MAJOR pain in the a**. Crowded by crazy people & stuffed to the rim with f'ugly things no one EVER will need. So I rather make things from scratch or sit comfortable in front of my PC, click a few buttons & get it delivered in the mail. Easy peasy! ...& no stressed & bitchy Linn.  I know most people think these things below belong to Halloween...but I think they would put a smile on any semi-weirdo's face this holiday. ;P  Found this lovely lamp  here . Have no clue where or if it's available. Cozy in a teenagers room...or any room really. It's flippin' gorgeous! Here' s the link. A grumpy old fart in the morning? Well, this is the cup for you. ...or maybe this is more yo

A s a parent I sometimes wonder if I make the right decisions. "Do I let him go to that party even though it's alcohol & girls there, Was it the right thing to support his choice in school, Do I give him too much money or waaay too little, Did I make a huge mistake when I let go of the one guy that truly treated Ravn as his own all those years ago, Do I lecture him too much or not often enough? Time will show I guess...  A ll I do know is that he told me straight out about the alcohol at the party & I've always been open about the topic of sex & its consequences, He discusses his school situation with me, He shakes his head & says he doesn't deserve all the things I give him (...& I disagree & say that it has nothing to do with what he do, but with who he is...& I don't ever need a reason to give him something-ever.), & I know I can't change the past but I can make sure Ravn learns from my (fear aka) experiences, We talk with ea

A s the sun set on this glorious part of the world, I found myself - yet again, in the corner of the sofa, with a glass of Pepsi Max in one hand, a bowl of food carefully placed on my 'homegrown tray' aka boobs & the PC in my lap. I was mostly pondering about life & all it's dreary issues. My conclusion on the topic was - as always; If you change nothing, nothing will change.  ...then I basically finished eating & continued doing nothing. HaHa! Long live apathy!  H ope your weekend was a tad bit more eventful than this? ;P My Mum & I went on a shopping spree... ...& I came home with shitty pictures & weekend grub/food. xD I do enjoy spending time with her though!  ♥ ~Linn. "Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated?" ~David Bader.

L ast night me & Ravn went to see Thor: The Dark World with my friend Gine & her son. ...I got such a soft spot for Loke . :P The dark elves were hot as hell. ;P  B esides Ravn almost crawling over me to strangle the guy to my left (He couldn't stop tapping his leg vigorously & Ravn can't stand that. HaHa he got sooo annoyed.), the movie was quite entertaining. :) I love how they've managed to portrait Heimdall . ...& by seeing the teaser after the closing titles it became apparent it'll be a 3rd one! With Benicio Del Toro as the Collector . WHOOP WHOOP!   *Inner nerd alert*   W hilst waiting for that, we'll be seeing Thor in The Avengers: Age of Ultron...& apparently they'll be joined by the Scarlet Witch ! So I'm a happy camper! *HUGE GRIN* The movies that comes out nowadays are just up my alley & I love going to the cinema with my son, cause I don't want him to miss out on things like that. Going to the movi

A s I mentioned yesterday, I got a little package in the mail the other day... This is definitely my kind of lovely. B ought it on Etsy by SKELETOS & I'm pleased with every single thing of my purchase. It only took a few days to get it in the mail, it had the sweetest little note EVER & the pendant is amazing. So if you're looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, then take a look at SKELETOS' shop here . :) I borrowed this detailed pic of the Raven Claw  here ...nice, right? ;) I  kinda reacted like a giddy little schoolgirl when I got it. Here's a few pics of my nerdy reaction... From getting summoned by the post office, to #tardface when seeing my precious raven claw for the first time & trying to show my friends how long the chain is... Which rather ended in a #duckfaced boobshot pic which got kinda mixed reactions. Haha!  W ell, me & my precious pendant's gonna curl up in the corner of the sofa & watch Godzilla now...have

A lmost bedtime now... Just had to pop by to tell you a bit about my day. I've been at the hospital to get  an  EMG  aka   Electromyography  /  Electromyogram   test done. Did feel a bit tingly a couple of hours after & exhausted... But Oh My Great Goddess it wasn't until I got comfy in the sofa this evening that I started to realize that especially my hands & feet are really sore. But it'll pass, so I'm not gonna dwell on it. :) ...& have to admit that it was sooo good to check that off my Medical-To-Do-List.  Took this pic in a park in  Fredrikstad today. ;) G ot a lovely little thing in the mail yesterday. Kinda excited about it actually. :) Gonna write all about it tomorrow...but now I need to get some shut eye. Nite nite!   ~Linn. When an illness knocks you on your ass, you should stay and relax for a while before trying to get back up. ~Terri Guillemets. PS: A HUG£ thanks to Mr. D. for driving me to & from the hospital.  ♥

T his became a hasty chocolate venture. My mum came over & we talked for a while, so I had about an hour n half to make it & chill it through before the day was over... ...& I couldn't find my chocolate skull molds , so had to use my ice cube tray. Arrrrr! :P  So not the most successful thing, but who cares!  It tastes yummy. Just use any  simple cocoa powder method & add whatever you like in the mix (chili powder, salty peanuts, etc.) & chill...preferably over night, not slightly chilled like the ones I made now. ;p What's certain is that I am NOT a chocolatièr or pastry chef, but at least I try. ;) Well, it's past midnight here & I'm off to bed. Zzz... ~Linn. Stressed spelled backwards is desserts.  Coincidence?  I think not!  ~Author Unknown.

L ately I've been busy with day to day life. Tried to be social when I was feeling up to it, bitched a lot at the news on the telly, broke the toilet seat (Not my proudest moment! HAHA ), but mostly I've been in a horizontal position.  Y esterday though I managed to take a tumble down the stairs...that was reeeally memorable. o.O I'm hurting ALL OVER! I have no clue how it can hurt on the inside of my right ankle, the right side of my stomach, front of my left thigh, front of my left ankle, underneath my right shoulder blade, the tip of my right index finger, the right elbow, the left side of my jaw & my left wrist? o.O When I woke up today all I could say was: "Ouch!" or in Norwegian: "Au!" It's been a looong tedious day. :p But  now I'm gonna shuffle out into the kitchen & make dinner...& despite me breaking the toilet seat I am going to make some homemade chocolate for dessert & stuff my face with it.  I 'll pop by later

O ne of my favorite things about living up here in Norway is when it comes to the end of October it starts to get darker around 4 O'clock in the afternoon...& by 5 it's practically pitch black. I love being able to light the candles & get comfy with a cup of tea that early...& you do appreciate & take advantage of the daylight you actually get.  Made loads of these cake pops today... Easy & yummy!  By December month I have a tendency to crave a little more light, so the snow is more than welcomed then... The white covered ground & even the moon lighting up the evenings is so nice. But for now, I'm enjoying every moment of the darkness that embrace us. I do often ponder about how it is in other parts of the world... What do you consider a cozy evening? Is it a stroll along a beach, with a warm breeze & sand between your toes? A quiet moment for yourself in a chair, reading a book? Or getting to have a shower, something to eat & a warm bed

H aven't been feeling that great lately... High fever & loads of pain. So this is basically how I've spent the last few days: My cat Loke always get clingy every time I feel this crappy...& he just crawled up on my lap again, so guess it's time to put down the PC & relax a bit more. Hope you've had a lovely weekend, wherever you've been.  ♥ ~Linn. What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it is supposed to be. ~S.