We've turned the corner, and the days are slowly starting to get longer. We also had a very nice and mellow Christmas celebration. Since all three of us in the Kverulantinnen household have been sick with a nasty cold and hacking cough, it was a big relief that this year my sister-in-law offered to host Christmas dinner.
I decided to take a couple of days off from my usual routines after Christmas. That means a few days off from both academic work and knitting (gasp!), and the chance to revel in some of Jane Austen's novels. I read Sense and Sensibility and Emma in the course of about three days, before heading back into work to take care of some nagging tasks. Having now submitted both a peer review of someone else's article and a revision of one of my own, I came home today with a clear enough conscience to pick up Mansfield Park. I'm skipping Pride and Prejudice this round of re-reading, I think. I have to admit that this time I was totally blown away by Sense and Sensibility. I have become a huge fan of the level-headed and gracious Elinor Dashwood. In comparison, Emma Woodhouse is exactly what Mr. Knightly calls her, namely a "nonsensical girl."
I did a big rush of pre-Christmas knitting: two Zissou toques for KE and E, and most of the Plain and Simple pullover for me. I've knitted up to the shoulders, but have completely lost my steam on it. All I want to do is read Regency novels! It's pretty clear that I won't finish it by January first, so I'll have to just live with the fact that I "only" finished knitting 10 sweaters this year.
We don't have any plans for New Years at all this year. We're really all just trying to gather strength for the coming term, consciously or unconsciously, I think. 2010 has been a hectic, productive, and emotionally challenging year for me. I'm glad it's over, and am not quite sure how to face a new one. It's a little overwhelming to think of all the things big and small I'd like to change. As always work and knitting goals are easier to identify and carry out than personal ones.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Fred og ro
I'm back from a two day retreat, and back to this blog, after my brief fling with 30 Pages in 30 Days (which ended up being 35 pages in 22 days). The retreat was very nearly perfect. I was literally the only overnight guest at a fairly posh conference hotel high up in the woods above Oslo. Here's what the bustling dining room looked like at breakfast from my alpha position in the corner:
It was like that at every meal, except for Tuesday's lunch, when there was a group of five people who were having a meeting.
It was totally quiet up there among the trees. All I did was sit in my room and work on my book. I arrived on Monday at around 2 pm, and by the time I started packing my bags at 10 am on Wednesday I had written over 5000 words. As I was putting in my last mid-morning stretch of work today I was greeted by this rather astounding glimpse of the sun streaming through my window:
That haze down in the valley below the trees is Oslo. I think this is one of the most productive and satisfying things I've ever done. It was a shock taking the subway back down into the city center. Suddenly there was so much noise! But having said that, it was definitely good to come home to the boys, who seem to have survived just fine without me.
I think the book is going to be pretty interesting. There are still a few things that need work, but basically it is done. It's hard to believe that I actually accomplished this. The book seemed like a crazy idea when I came up with it back in August or September or whenever it was, though I did have a gut feeling I could pull it off. It was hands down the most fun I've ever had with an academic project. Having done this, I can now envision actually getting the cabin book written as well. I don't know why I got myself so worked up over that one. I just need to sit down and start working on it bit by bit like I did with this one. Is it pompous to say that I feel really proud of myself for completing the manuscript on my third scholarly book?
Now I can take some time off to relax with the family over Christmas. I don't think I would have been able to do that if I hadn't had the retreat and gotten the book out of my system...
Merry Christmas!
It was like that at every meal, except for Tuesday's lunch, when there was a group of five people who were having a meeting.
It was totally quiet up there among the trees. All I did was sit in my room and work on my book. I arrived on Monday at around 2 pm, and by the time I started packing my bags at 10 am on Wednesday I had written over 5000 words. As I was putting in my last mid-morning stretch of work today I was greeted by this rather astounding glimpse of the sun streaming through my window:
That haze down in the valley below the trees is Oslo. I think this is one of the most productive and satisfying things I've ever done. It was a shock taking the subway back down into the city center. Suddenly there was so much noise! But having said that, it was definitely good to come home to the boys, who seem to have survived just fine without me.
I think the book is going to be pretty interesting. There are still a few things that need work, but basically it is done. It's hard to believe that I actually accomplished this. The book seemed like a crazy idea when I came up with it back in August or September or whenever it was, though I did have a gut feeling I could pull it off. It was hands down the most fun I've ever had with an academic project. Having done this, I can now envision actually getting the cabin book written as well. I don't know why I got myself so worked up over that one. I just need to sit down and start working on it bit by bit like I did with this one. Is it pompous to say that I feel really proud of myself for completing the manuscript on my third scholarly book?
Now I can take some time off to relax with the family over Christmas. I don't think I would have been able to do that if I hadn't had the retreat and gotten the book out of my system...
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Jeg er ikke alene
Since this blog has basically gone dead due to my big writing project, I thought I would gather some links to blogs of other Americans living as expats in Norway that I have come across. I'd love to hear about more of them!
http://corinnenorway.blogspot.com/
http://littlenorwaytobig.blogspot.com/
http://eventyrhus.blogspot.com/
http://karlastories.blogspot.com/
http://tobringe.blogspot.com/
http://mygrandadventure2.blogspot.com/
http://corinnenorway.blogspot.com/
http://littlenorwaytobig.blogspot.com/
http://eventyrhus.blogspot.com/
http://karlastories.blogspot.com/
http://tobringe.blogspot.com/
http://mygrandadventure2.blogspot.com/
They are all quite different from this blog in focus, ideology, and aesthetics. I think they're all primarily kept by women as well. Where are all the male American expat bloggers in Norway?
ETA: Aha, found one!
http://milesinnorway.blogspot.com/
ETA: Aha, found one!
http://milesinnorway.blogspot.com/
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Teologen
A couple of weeks ago at the Bjørnson conference I ended up sitting next to one of the big names at the banquet. I was told that in addition to his academic profile he had also published "books on theology." I decided it would be good to engage, so I tried to ask him about it but he was quite slippery, and basically avoided talking about it. I figured that was fair enough, not everyone wants to get into a big discussion about their moral philosophy at a banquet.
When he found out that I was working on a book about cabins he did what Scandinavians usually do when they hear that an American in writing about cabins in Norwegian literature, namely start listing cabins from American literature. I suppose they're trying to be helpful? I don't know how many times Henry David Thoreau's Walden and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin have been suggested to me as relevant to my analysis of the role of place in the construction of Norwegian identity. It's kind of irritating and kind of sweet at the same time. Any way, the "big name" quite enthusiastically suggested to me an American novel that I haven't heard of, William Paul Young's The Shack from 2008. I took note of the recommendation, and just this morning I decided to look it up on Amazon. ARGH! It's apparently the next great thing in Evangelical Christian literature, guaranteed to revolutionize my faith in God. I could spit.
I then googled the "big name" and discovered that not only is he a literary scholar and a theologian, but he is also a right wing commentator with a newspaper column and a huge chip on his shoulder against the "liberal" or progressive bias of higher education and the general level of secularization in his home country. YUCK. He also happens to have written or edited dozens of books in my field. I'm torn as to whether I should try to read some of it (his most recent book may have some relevance, based on the title) or can I just write him off as ideologically questionable? I don't know. On principle I should give him a chance, but he has already given me the impression of being the kind of person who deals in half truths.
When he found out that I was working on a book about cabins he did what Scandinavians usually do when they hear that an American in writing about cabins in Norwegian literature, namely start listing cabins from American literature. I suppose they're trying to be helpful? I don't know how many times Henry David Thoreau's Walden and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin have been suggested to me as relevant to my analysis of the role of place in the construction of Norwegian identity. It's kind of irritating and kind of sweet at the same time. Any way, the "big name" quite enthusiastically suggested to me an American novel that I haven't heard of, William Paul Young's The Shack from 2008. I took note of the recommendation, and just this morning I decided to look it up on Amazon. ARGH! It's apparently the next great thing in Evangelical Christian literature, guaranteed to revolutionize my faith in God. I could spit.
I then googled the "big name" and discovered that not only is he a literary scholar and a theologian, but he is also a right wing commentator with a newspaper column and a huge chip on his shoulder against the "liberal" or progressive bias of higher education and the general level of secularization in his home country. YUCK. He also happens to have written or edited dozens of books in my field. I'm torn as to whether I should try to read some of it (his most recent book may have some relevance, based on the title) or can I just write him off as ideologically questionable? I don't know. On principle I should give him a chance, but he has already given me the impression of being the kind of person who deals in half truths.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Fråtsing
While all my brain power is supposed to be going into the push to finish the Peer Gynt book, I'm still making at least an attempt to lead a normal life. E turned six yesterday, and I think he had a very nice day. One of the fun things about Waldorf school is that they make a really big deal of birthdays - he got to wear a regal cape and crown, and was attended by two friends. I brought cake and got to eat lunch and participate in the festivities. I totally over indulged while baking the cake - way too much cake batter, frosting, and candy decorations were consumed in the process. Not good. Tomorrow we're having a party for E here at home with about five of his friends - all boys, I'm afraid, little chauvinist that he is.
I've also been knitting, but it's such a drab color and pattern, and there is so little light for photography now in the darkest time of the year that it has seemed pointless to try to post a snapshot. I'm knitting the "Plain and Simple Pullover" (Ravelry link) and I have to confess that I have yet again frogged a sweater I knit myself that I wasn't entirely happy with in order to do so. The dark green fair isle yoke sweater I made earlier this year never quite worked out: it was too tight and the colors of the yoke ended up being too Easter candy cheerful. Of course I got lots of compliments on it, but it was just totally not my cup of tea. I was relieved to rip it all out and knit something, well, "plain and simple" out of the olive drab alpaca yarn (which appears to be holding up pretty well, by the way). I'm thinking of knitting up a quick hat out of all the short pieces of yarn left over from the yoke, maybe something like Urchin?
ETA: I managed to get close to a decent picture on Sunday morning, so here it is:
The color is almost impossible to photograph in the winter light.
Another confession: I have to admit that I'm counting the days until my little writing retreat. The ideas are percolating and I'm so excited about how the book is coming together. I can't wait to totally immerse myself into the project in the same totally self-indulgent way I used to back when I was a single graduate student. Every once in a while I think that kind of thing is healthy.
I've also been knitting, but it's such a drab color and pattern, and there is so little light for photography now in the darkest time of the year that it has seemed pointless to try to post a snapshot. I'm knitting the "Plain and Simple Pullover" (Ravelry link) and I have to confess that I have yet again frogged a sweater I knit myself that I wasn't entirely happy with in order to do so. The dark green fair isle yoke sweater I made earlier this year never quite worked out: it was too tight and the colors of the yoke ended up being too Easter candy cheerful. Of course I got lots of compliments on it, but it was just totally not my cup of tea. I was relieved to rip it all out and knit something, well, "plain and simple" out of the olive drab alpaca yarn (which appears to be holding up pretty well, by the way). I'm thinking of knitting up a quick hat out of all the short pieces of yarn left over from the yoke, maybe something like Urchin?
ETA: I managed to get close to a decent picture on Sunday morning, so here it is:
The color is almost impossible to photograph in the winter light.
Another confession: I have to admit that I'm counting the days until my little writing retreat. The ideas are percolating and I'm so excited about how the book is coming together. I can't wait to totally immerse myself into the project in the same totally self-indulgent way I used to back when I was a single graduate student. Every once in a while I think that kind of thing is healthy.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Grønt i desember
Hey, after my third try with this yarn, I now have a green sweater I think I'll be able to wear! Yay. Here's the reveal:
The snapshot was taken with Photo Booth on my office computer. The pullover turned out a little big, but it's very comfortable. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it, especially since it was my own design.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Utro
I admit it. I'm cheating on this blog. I've started a big push to finish my academic book project this month. I'll be posting daily updates to a new blog, 30 Pages in 30 Days. That means this more personal, crafty blog is probably going to languish for the month. Sorry! The other one is totally work related. It's basically just a place for me to gather all my working notes (bibliographical info, quotations, ideas, etc.) and update writing progress. It will be really boring for everyone on the whole planet except for me, but I happen to think it's fun and thrilling, so I'm just going to do it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)