For Kim

- who asked for pictures of my books/bookcases

I do not think Mrs Woolf would have appreciated it, but it is the truth, and I’d better tell you: There is no door into my new study. Its an open attic, everyone can enter – whenever …

At the moment I’m focusing on learning how to write poetry, and on my desk right now are several instructional books

Mary Oliver: A Poetry Handbook, Stephen Dobyns: Best Words, Best Order, Kim Addonizio: Ordinari Genius. There is also the wonderful book of poems called  A Village Life by Louise Glück and a book called Geography of Home by Akiko Bush.

My favorit reading space is here by the window. In time I will replace this little tray-table with a Block with room for books, plants and a mug.

On the shelves nearest to my reading chair I keep books I have yet to get to know, new books, and older stuff I’d like to re-read.

.

Afternoon walk

• Sunrise 09:35
• Sunset 15:48
• Length of day 6h 22m (tomorrow it will be 2m more…)

Ok, the weather could have been better, but who can really complain when living in a landscape like this?

Enjoying his new home

We have two dogs; the 11 years old boxer Ludo, and the papillon Noah (5). They differ not only in size but also in temperament. Ludo is jovial, social, playful and always in a good mood, Noah is more timid, and much more of a one person dog. He has chosen me as his shepherd - even if it was my daughters idea to bring him to our house.

When I first heard of Noah I thought I wouldn’t much care about such a tiny toy dog, but of course – it was love at first sight, as it so often is with puppies.

 As you can see from the pictures he has really outgrown his favorite bed … But since he loves hanging around where I am, he just makes himself comfortable the best he can – .

Taking occupancy

Gradually things are finding their places in my new home. My husband & I both do a lot of work from home, so studies have had a high priority in our planning. (We have had no choices on the exterior design of the house, but have had some saying on the interior – and have amongst other things built extra strong walls to carry our 4000 books)

For the books we have chosen the very adaptable Swedish shelving-system called String, designed in the 50′.

Simple desks from IKEA are combined with chairs designed by Charles & Ray Eames in 1950.

Such a mess!

We started out with 4000 books, but have reduced the collection considerably. I took out all novels I knew I wouldn’t reread, and a lot of books on post-modernism and post-structuralism. My husband got to keep all the books by Deleuze & Foucault, and I kept Barthes, the rest; Derrida, Lyotard, Kristeva, Baudrillard, Bourdieu … are all gone, hopefully disappeared into other readers shelves.

Now my highest wish is to find some time to spend with – new books …

Early morning walk

Every morning I walk my two dogs; Ludo & Noah. I have had dogs all my life, and early morning walks are among the things I really love, no matter season or weather.

View from the terrace at 08:00 AM

(I take my dogs out around half past seven, when its still very dark, today I took a second trip to get some pictures, but as you can see from the result, there really wasn’t enough light this morning … still I hope you can get a rough idea of what it looks like around here)

Since moving the routine is the same, a half-hour walk every morning, but the landscape is all different from before. My new home is situated at a small island called Hundvaag, and out of doors I walk straight into a beautiful coastal moorland.

The path crosses grazing land and tiny beaches, pass quays and piers, boathouses and homes.

Alternative X-mss decoration

Looking east towards Ryfylke

Looking west towards Stavanger

Summing things up – the best literary experience 2012:

Any fool can get into an ocean

BY JACK SPICER

Any fool can get into an ocean

But it takes a Goddess

To get out of one.

What’s true of oceans is true, of course,

Of labyrinths and poems. When you start swimming

Through riptide of rhythms and the metaphor’s seaweed

You need to be a good swimmer or a born Goddess

To get back out of them

Look at the sea otters bobbing wildly

Out in the middle of the poem

They look so eager and peaceful playing out there where the

    water hardly moves

You might get out through all the waves and rocks

Into the middle of the poem to touch them

But when you’ve tried the blessed water long

Enough to want to start backward

That’s when the fun starts

Unless you’re a poet or an otter or something supernatural

You’ll drown, dear. You’ll drown

Any Greek can get you into a labyrinth

But it takes a hero to get out of one

What’s true of labyrinths is true of course

Of love and memory. When you start remembering.

Source: Poetry (July/August 2008).

self-explanatory

My new study

… without me & my books – but with the view intact …

MORE weather!

My boy is home and I am very happy he is here! The forecast for our town reads like this for the weekend:

OBS-forecast warning for Rogaland: From Friday Night storm or whole gale;  24,5 m/s til 28,4 m/s (48-55 knop) at the coast of South-Rogaland

My world this morning:

I’m expecting my son home from Wales tonight. He is already several hours late, the airport  at Sola has been closed in periods during the day, but is open again tonight.

YES!