Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same. ~Francesca Reigler

Shortly after the last post I decided to go for a walk (ie an hour later), I was so wound up - as all could gather... I couldn't sleep and it was solstice night... so for the first time in my life I decided to check out the midnight sun on the fjord.  I was not disappointed.... I will let the photos tell the tale..

 My wonderful nephew Dorian Magnús Jónsson youngest son of Hilmar has been here in the last week with his adorable wife Jacqueline.  We had a bit of a family get together... so good.

Tonight was the start of lummudagar... our towns little festival... so at least for the next couple of days there will be nice positive posts.... 


And also, to be fair... I got an apology for what happened at the last council meeting.  Am a forgiving sort so accepted the apology... but now I need to put on my emotional armor, learn to be tough and give as good as I get... but not lower myself to their standards.  Think before you speak, words once spoken can never be taken back.

The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck! ~Author Unknown

There are good days and there are bad days and some days contain the quality of both.


Today was a good day because Jacqueline and Dorian went to Drangey and saw the Puffins.... it was probably also a bad day for them 'cos it was cold and windy... but I am sure that they enjoyed it anyway.  Also, it was a good day, as we all went out to dinner at Ólafshús and had a very fine meal...


BUT it was also a very bad day as I felt the first repercussions of going into politics and being questioned about my integrity.  It was based, in my opinion, on political grandstanding, nevertheless, I am a person of that nature that takes these things to heart.  I went into this thing with a positive view on that it would be possible for all to work together for the good of the community.


The crux of todays debacle was the production of a series of books about Skagafjordur.   There will be in all 7 books published, each takes a certain section of the rural community that makes up Skagafjordur and tells the history of each farm (whether currently inhabited or not).  It is a major project that began in 1996, so far 5 volumes have been published, the 6th will be available by Christmas this year and in total 9 will be produced (given funding).


Todays crisis was the fact that there had been an agreement with the local council to pay for the costs associated with one of the main writers/researchers of this book.  The last agreement ran out at the end of last year... ie 31 december 2010, we have made an allowance in the council budget for his wages and costs in 2011.  Also, no one wants this project to stop mid way... so what was the problem????  I can only think that political grandstanding ... this was an opportunity to be painful, arrogant and also to find the weakest link in the chain - ie... me...  I did not go into politics to make a name for myself,  stupid me... this makes me the weakest link in the political chain therefore the easiest to attack.  Apparently I have some personal investment in this matter... hmm.. yes the company I work for donates my time in order to do the accounts for the publication... me personally - I just think it's a wonderful publication, as it tells the history of the farms from as far back as records allow.  My own personal gain is zero... still... some feel that this may be a bone of contention.


Also, there is a matter of a debt to the council that sits on the balance sheet of the publication and as an asset with the council... at some stage this needs to be sorted out... did anyone do any homework on this today... no... they just wanted to know if the council would sit with the debt... seeing as though the council decided to put this on their balance sheet ten years ago and not into their profit and statement way back when...  (I know I am talking accounts talk)... thing is the book began in 1996, the guy working on it has been on the councils payroll... instead of just making his wages an expense they decided to make it a debt on the publication.... the publication then became an entity of its own so the costs accumulated to that date became a debt of the publication to the council... So at some stage someone has to account for a write off in their books....   Did anyone understand this, - seems not... and instead, I am accused of being an interested party (in terms of my employers who give my book keeping for nada).....  


I should probably not be venting like this - but I am so annoyed, so disappointed and so so fucked by this sort of petty mindedness.   Again, I should have stuck by my view of politics way back in the 80's that no good would come of me ever being involved... no matter how ideological I am....


In other news tonight is the solstice... I am awake at 1.30 am and it is still light outside.

People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy. ~Anton Chekhov

What a couple of weeks I have had.... 

I am now trying to remember what happened and for the life of me I can't remember everything.  However, the highlights were:

My great nephew Henry Thor came into the world on Wednesday morning, 8th of June, gorgeous ofcourse, with parents like his it would have been hard to be otherwise!  They came home on Thursday so the week was very much all about the boy!

Margy - a friend of Maja's arrived on Sunday, she had been travelling around the country in a hire car and was under instructions from Maja to come to Sauðárkrókur and check out where she lived whilst in Iceland.  Luckily, Monday was a public holiday so I was able to do "stuff", first we went horse riding, I forgot my camera ofcourse so there is no proof of this - although I do know that Margy got a few shots.  The route we took was up to the hill above town, I had not gone this way before so it was all quite new and exciting for me too.  We also had fairly good horses that were willing and were Töltarar, so the ride was smooth and well paced.

We then went to Glaumbæ to see the turf house and to have hot chocolate, breads and cakes at Áskaffi, the best little café in the Northern  periphery...  After this we went to a mink farm.... well, it's not everyday a girl gets to see where a fur coat comes from. 

As Margy is a geo and enjoys talking geology I invited Rúna Birna's partner, Helgi Páll, to dinner - I think Margy appreciated this - to be able to talk geo speak with another rock nerd.   It was great fun listening to them and most informative.  Helgi is really so knowledgable about the geology of Iceland and because he loves it so much he makes it interesting for those of us who know nothing (or very little).  For dinner that night we had foal... I think Margy not only likes to ride our four footed friends she quite enjoyed eating it to.

Margy really wanted to see puffins, Viggó called and said she could join a trip that was going at 1pm the next day.  On the Tuesday I flew down to Reykjavik for a meeting at the Environmental agency to discuss the proposed extention of a national park south of the glacier Hofsjökull.  I am included in this committee because a part of this glacier is in our municipality.  It was a good meeting, and was finished by 2pm, which meant I had till 8pm to do something - so I called the brother and asked if my sister in law would like to go shopping with me.  So, Sigga and I went and spent (well she came with and I spent) got some black jeans, work trousers, gym trousers (- for Zoomba) and a jacket.... was very pleased with myself.  My nephew Gunni took me to the airport (with his two sons - Ari and Aron) on the way we went a had a look at this new house - really nice!

I was knackered by the time I got home, mum and Margy had been at Olga and Ross' for dinner, her trip to the island had been cold and wet - but really really worth it!  Which was good to hear.  I trundled off home and got myself organised for the next work day.  Margy stayed with Thor and co and polished off a bottle of scotch - well done Margy!

Wednesday, started with a meeting and trying to do some work for my official employer, I left early to join the "twin town" meeting at Miðgarð in Varmahlíð.  The day was spent eating and listening to presentations on what each town is doing in terms of "drop out" prevention, twas quite interesting - although sometimes quite difficult and the speakers spoke either in English, Danish, Norwegian or Swedish.... my knowledge of Nordic languages is limited to Icelandic and so at times it was quite hard to follow.   This finished just after four so I went home and got myself ready for my 2nd Zoomba class, my God, I was knackered the week before and I wasn't much better this week.  Also, I thought that I had rhythm I was WRONG.  I have three left feet that keep getting in each others way - I do not know my right from my left nor can I shake my bum like I thought I could... Still it is great fun.  I left a little earlier as there was a dinner that night with our Nordic friends.

My God, this post is getting long..... am writing this all down now so that in years to come I can remember that once upon a time I was a woman on the go....

Dinner was just across the street at Kaffi Krók so I got there just in time for entré - smoked puffin salad.... YUMMMMM so nice, am ordering some for my brothers to have when they get here - may even get some sooner so Unnur and Thor can have some too..... so nice.

Main was the best lamb I have had in a very very long time and desert Skyr terta.  so good, also helped that the wine was a lovely Rosemount.

The next day I showed up at work for 2 hours before rejoining the Nordic folk here at the local college to look at the apprenticeship school and the fab lab area.  Then lunch - more great food from Skagafjordur - lightly salted cod, smoked arctic char and game paté..... 

Then we all went on the bus:

First to a dairy in Hjaltadalur - Garðakot where Ása and Pálmi were our hosts, here we had the new beer from Skagafjörður as well as cheeses made here from local milk in the KS production facility in Sauðárkrókur.

 This is an ultra modern dairy farm, the cows are indoors but able to move around freely between areas, they also choose when to be milked and head over to the milking station where they wait patiently in line for their turn. 

  The milking is done by a "robot" that has sensors to find the teats, hook on and milk, each cow has a necklace on with a computer chip so the system knows when it was last milked etc.  so if it comes too soon to be  milked it gets rejected and sent back into the open space.

 Next we headed to Hofsós where our Nordic friends could go and swim in our new pool.... it really is lovely.  A pity though that it was so overcast - you can barely see Drangey out there in the distance.

 The day ended with a big dinner at Miðgarð, the meal was grafin gæs.... grav goose on a bed of salad, followed by foal.... yummm, and then a skyr panacota.  So good, oh and ofcourse more local cheese and lots and lots of red wine.  Lots of speeches were made, a lot of back slapping and how great everything had been, the entertainment was the local mens choir and a young kid from the area who totally rocked the house.  Everyone went home very pleased....


Then.... yesterday - our National Day the 17th of June, birth day of our "new" nations "father" Jón Sigurðsson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3n_Sigur%C3%B0sson He devoted his life to attaining nationhood again for his home country.  Iceland had been established as an independent nation but gave it up in 1262 to the Norwegian crown.  After this we were swapped between the Nordic nations - according to who was more powerful, ending up with the Danes as our rulers, then in 1944, Iceland took the final step and became independent again.  The Danes were not that happy that we took this opportunity whilst they were occupied by the Germans, but hey it had to be done.

 The main celebrations take place in and around our football/athletics oval.  Here the Mayor is trying to read a speech... it was so windy ....
and soo cold..

 Then we had a  little light entertainment....

 Twas a good day...


Ending with dinner - lamb ofcourse!


Olga and Ross bought little Henry over - such a sweety...

Olga and Ross are such great parents!

Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn. ~Chuck Clark

 So Saturday Sauðárkrókur celebrated the day of the men of the sea.  I refuse to call it seamans' day.... Anywho, it meant I actually got out of bed before midday and went with Vicki and Unnur on the boat trip on the fjord.  Now this is not just any boat but one of the big trawlers belonging to Fish Seafood, the weather was great... well it was a little windy and a tad cold... but it was photo worthy..

 Unnur looking windswept at the fore of the boat.... with Tindastóll in the background... lots of people came - a lot of kids and every now and then my heart would drop as I saw a small child hanging in, over or under the railings.... no one else seemed worried.

 See, lovely weather - do I look cold... well you can't see my fingers which by this stage had no feelings left in them...

 How gorgeous is that!???  You can tell that I love it here, that I love this fjord and I love this life...   Happy pills... who needs them?

 Vicki, another, who appreciates this fjord and all it has to offer.  Looking very relaxed...

 In other news there is still no sign of Henry's appearance in the real world, as I told Olga, he is enjoying himself too much in his current place of residence... not to worry, he will make his presence felt very soon.  Olga looks so good!

And here is the amma to be - my sister - my best friend.  So good having her here and see how content she looks....or is that a look of boredom?....


In other news... I mowed the lawn on Saturday.... it rained on Sunday so Unnur and I went through some of the stuff at mums and did a run to the tip/recycling and red cross.... We were very happy with the results of the day... and then we checked out the new restaurant in town... Asian.. sort of ... very nice... just so good to have a bit of variety - hopefully they will prosper and continue to provide us with another restaurant option.