A week ago the weather in northern Norway was in the minuses. Minus degrees. Now we’re looking ahead to the days when we will be visiting and it’s warming up every single time I look at the long-range forecast. Stop it! I am not going to the arctic in February for my tan, people! I want to see snow, glorious snow, and lots of it. Weather is quite the cruel trickster. At this rate you’ll be reading news reports of a surprising spring heat wave in Tromsø and it will probably snow in Los Angeles while we’re gone.
Packing has been a journey. Now we are re-thinking all the weird clothing choices we made just a week ago, and I also recognize that I love drawing out the vacationy goodness of every trip by spending way more time than necessary on packing. This weekend I’m going to finish up whatever new clothes I’m making and hope to have my bags packed by the end of the weekend. I’m still taking the gigantic Land’s End coat I got on ebay but I’m not certain I’ll even need it since the current forecast has Tromsø warmer than Paris was at Christmastime.
Nonetheless, I’m suuuuuuper excited for this trip and the countdown is on. Everyone at work has been in a terrible mood for about two weeks. And I haven’t been sleeping much. Does anyone else have a geriatric cats that wails mercilessly in the night? Both Bob and Frankie do it and it’s making me insane. The vet says it’s not pain or discomfort, well, not for them. For me it’s so stressful and upsetting. I have tried calming treats and calming drops and now I have resorted to trying to keep them awake as much as possible during the day so they sleep more at night. If anyone has successfully cured the caterwauling feline, please tell me how! As of right now my current cure is to take lots and lots of vacations and give my housesitter combat pay. Definitely looking forward to getting some much-needed sleep on vacation. My eye bags have bags these days.
T minus a few days yet. Think snowy thoughts for us!
6 comments
You have my luck with travel weather although mine usually involves record heat in places with no air conditioning. I bet there will be plenty of snow to see but think of it as more bearable to see and be out in it. Enjoy your trip! Cant wait to see the pictures!!
I’m looking forward to you trip, too, as for a while I’m going to have to travel vicariously through others! I share your packing obsession, but I think that’s OK because it just draws out the enjoyment of planning.
I’m thinking snowy thoughts for you! It almost wants to snow in Portland this weekend, and I was oddly look forward to it! Anyway, just remember that mid-30’s is almost freezing and there will likely still be snow.
And BTW: I love reading your blog! You’ve inspired me to start sewing again! It started with: I better clean up my sewing room (which is overflowing with yarn!) so I can least get in there and hem a pair of pants every once in while. But the organization has mostly stopped and I’ve “fallen down” sewing a million pajamas for my family! Oh, and soon I need to get back on the t-shirt bandwagon because apparently it won’t always be this cold!
Hi Laurie,
I always look forward to reading your writing. Have a great time on your upcoming trip. I hope it snows so much, your Kevlar-like leggings will be covered up to the skirt! 😮
My senior cats used to wail. They were not in any discomfort, they just would call out at inopportune times of the night (and one would wake up from her nap calling out). My vet suggested, as they get older, they become a bit “addled” and seemingly “get a little lost.” Each time (even at one in the morning), I would get out of bed, find them, and give them some love. That seemed to calm them down and I was able to finish out the night. That’s maybe not a good answer, but it was what it was and it worked to calm them down.
Good luck in Norway! I can’t wait to hear about your adventures. ❄️❄️
P.S. I already was a knitter when I read your first blog, but now you want to make me learn to sew. 👍🏻
Hi Laurie,
When my dog became a senior, she stopped sleeping through the night and started pacing and panting instead. The vet ruled out any physical ailments and I ended up taking her to a veterinary behaviorist who told me that my dog was showing symptoms of canine dementia. The vet behaviorist prescibed clonazepam for my dog and it worked! I just finished reading a wonderful book/memoir, “How to be a Good Creature” by Sy Montgomery, and she writes about the same thing as the commenter above, how her animal (dog) would wake her whining during the night, and how she would calm her dog, and the light would come back into her eyes.
Love that you are back to blogging-I enjoy your writing and the way you view life.
Cheers!
Hi Laurie, I just refound you on your new blog. I used to follow you when you were going through the divorce. You were a kindred spirit as I was going through similar craziness. I hope to continue to receive your posts. I haven’t received any pictures since the 13th of Feb. have you been taking a break and not blogging.? Love all your stories and travels and your new love, Captain. You have come a very long way my friend, Congratulations. I am happy too! Hugs, Carole