All of the snow we got during the first few weeks of December has melted away, so we won't be having a white Christmas after all. Which is okay with me! Born and raised in California, I'm used to a more temperate holiday experience, so it feels more like home outside now. I enjoyed the snow when it was around earlier, and I'm sure we'll have loads more in January and February, so no need to feel sad that it's not here today.

There was plenty of snow two weeks ago when Ian and I went with some friends to find our Christmas trees at a farm on the edge of Sandefjord. Here are a few pictures of the day that included a tractor ride out into the forest, fun watching the kids ride horses and build snowmen, and, of course, a winter weenie roast.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a beautiful, peaceful, and fun holiday.

Thank you to everyone who left such kind, supportive, and funny comments after my last post. It means so much to me! I truly had a bad week and am happy that today is Sunday and tomorrow is the start of a brand new week---and that it will soon be Christmas! I adore Christmas. Husband and I went to a big farm in Sandefjord with some friends last week to cut down our Christmas tree; I'll post some pictures tomorrow of that day out.

I wanted to do a quick follow-up about my, um, outburst during baking day at school. As promised, my teacher, addressed the issue the following day during class. She started out by asking everyone if they knew why "Michele was so mad yesterday." S said, "She was mad at herself." Hmmhmm. H said she understood but thought I was wrong to blame her and A when it was S I was really upset with. A denied speaking Kurdish in the kitchen, so didn't know what was wrong. I bent over and began hitting my head against my desk. Psych! No I didn't. I didn't have to say anything. Teacher explained that there are six of us in class and two of us do not speak Kurdish, so speaking Kurdish too much can have a negative affect on our group dynamic. "We are one group and it is important that we look after one another and be sensitive to the feelings of our classmates. If Michele and T both spoke English and spoke lots of English to one another during class, how would the rest of you feel? You might feel left out, and that is how Michele feels. We are a good group of women and we must take care of each other."

She went on to explain how important it is to follow a recipe when baking, especially if it is a new recipe. "H and A followed their recipe to make pepperkaker and serinakaker and they tasted very good. T and I followed the recipe to make kokosmakroner and they were good. Michele and S did not follow their recipe and their Berlinerkranser tasted bad. Recipes are important, yes?" I said yes. S didn't say anything. That girl can be very difficult.

After class, my teacher asked me to stay and talk with her. I expected this, and wasn't surprised when she asked if everything was okay with me. I tried to explain how much pressure I feel all the time to learn this language so I can get a better job and not feel so stupid all the time and that yesterday I just snapped. Teacher was completely understanding and very, very kind. An immigrant herself, she really does know how I feel. After chatting for a while, she asked if I would like to try a different class when I come back from Christmas break. "If you'd like, you can join the social studies class. It's not a Norwegian class, remember, so will seem advanced to you and a bit difficult, but I think you can do it and perhaps you'll be happier there. Please think about it and let me know on Friday what you want to do."

So this is how it happens that I'll be leaving my Norwegian language class and starting a new, different kind of class when I go back to school on January 5. I do feel sad to be leaving my teacher because she's absolutely fantastic and I've learned so much from her. But the Kurdish language thing will continue to drive me nuts, and since it's not going to stop---despite Teacher's lecture about class unity on Tuesday---it is best that I move on. I hope I like my new class. Something new to look forward to in the new year!

This video has been around the internets for a while but I saw it for the first time yesterday and wanted to share. It's hilarious!

(Um, I would say I'm not pointing a finger at anyone in particular but that would be a lie. Hi babe!)

I feel very sad about the horrible attacks that took place in Mumbai last week. I’ve never been to India, but I know many people from that huge, wondrous country. Plus, my BFF Marianne has traveled to India twice and her stories about her journeys left me hungry for my own travel adventures there. In fact, I have a dream that Marianne and I and her daughter will one day go to India together. So hearing about the terror and suffering that occurred there left me feeling terribly disheartened and grief-stricken for everyone involved.

It made me wonder something else, too. When the stories of the shootings first started coming out, there were reports that the murderers were looking specifically for American and British people to kill. Indian police are now disputing those claims---for good reason, since most of the 188 people killed were Indian---but I did see an English guy interviewed on TV who said that when the shooters entered the hotel restaurant where he was sitting with friends, one of them demanded, in English, that American and British people identify themselves as such. When I heard that, I couldn’t help but think, what would I do in such a situation? Would I lie? Would I cry out that I was Norwegian and hand over my norsk driving license as proof? If I was with other people, would I say they were all Norwegian, too? I think I would. I hope that’s not wrong.

Now I’m worried that India and Pakistan are going to start a war with each other that will involve nuclear weapons. This is probably what the radical terrorists behind the plan want anyway. This is truly frightening. This is a situation that calls for cool heads, magnificent brains, and lots and lots of experience....