Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~Scott Adams

My dog loves my sister A LOT, here she is showing ownership of her!  I also love my sister A LOT and am going to miss her so much when she goes.....   Still, we are used to this - the hellos and goodbyes are nothing new to us.   I know I will see her again soon, and that whilst we are apart we are still together, technology lets us talk to each other whenever we want.  A part of our sister bonding was a course in book binding - run by Vicki, Henry's other grandmother.... what fun it has been!

 But before that... we had a family Þorrablót - (libations to Thor), which marks the beginning of the end of winter...  rotten food to all of you non Icelanders!   This time we kept it small... just us cousins.  Was a really good night!  We actually had this on Wednesday night - Þorri didn't actually start till Friday - but hey, sometimes it's good to have a head start.  Friday - the start of Þorri - is called Bónda dagur - According to the Icelandic on line dictionary 

Icelandic-English bóndadagur
	Husband's Day; Husband's Day; Farmers' Day

The men at work decided to do something special for Bóndadag and all brought in their saddle sacks... Is that what they are called????  with Þorra food and bottles kept in socks.... twas an interesting sight when I came back to work after lunch, they with their saddle bags... thats the word... on the table, bottles of vodka hidden in socks... we also had whiskey during the morning coffee break.  We girls at work felt that we should do something so the boys got a red rose each from us.   Þorri lasts for about a month, then Góa begins... with Konudagur - ladies day..... look forward to seeing what happens then...

 Saturday was day one of the book binding course, a great bunch of people brought together by a wonderful artist and excellent teacher - Vicki....  Here we are checking out other books that Vicki had made and getting ideas for making our covers.

 I do not have an artistic bone in my body - but still managed to make 3 sheets of paper with some stuff on them that would be my cover for my very own hand bound book.

 Unnur and I are the rip, tear, bust sisters, we do most things quickly and with very little attention to detail.  Unnur made a lovely sheet with this piece of plastic table cloth.... really pretty.  

 Day 2 - today, was assembly day....  I was not at my best - having been to a Þorrablót last night and did not get to bed till around 6am, then up at 1pm...  however, I am so pleased with the result!

 Shining up my covers.

 Not bad hey!

 The finished product.... my new guestbook!

 The products of our adventure into art.... I think we were all pretty proud of our bits of handiwork!

Another person Freyja has taken ownership of... Notice who has the better chair...

Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together. ~Vista M. Kelly

 We've had a little bit of weather here on the rock in the last two days, two days that I spent in bed with a cold/flu thingy happening - I think I chose the right two days of the year to stay indoors.

 The snow provides me with natural curtains and an added sense of cosyness.

 I still had a dog that needed walking so I donned snow pants and big down jacket over my pyjamas and took her out to see what nature was doing.

 Snowy walls, this was on the first night, which was followed by a full day of storms and snow, the whole country came to a standstill.  Unnur was stuck in Rvk as no buses or flights were going anywhere inland.  

 She doesn't care though, and as I write this she is sitting on the chair next to me giving me the occasional nudge and whinge about having another walk (she has been outside three times today, once with mum, once with Unnur and once with me.... obviously not enough!)  

 Still it really is a beautiful thing, I love winter, I hate being sick, but when the two happen to happen at the same time - then good.

Hope 2012 is being good for you all!

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! ~Albert Einstein

Just a photo update this week.  All is back to normal, work has begun - slowly and the meetings are about to start, first one was tonight after work.  Again, just want to give thanks for the beautiful people that are my family....

 I just missed the moment when Freyja had the adoration look towards Maggi.

 the lovely amma and her Henry.... both the cutest and nicest and most huggable people I know.

 The lovely Anna, who has now departed back to southern shores.

 Yes lady, I can walk and give me a couple of weeks and I will be dancing!

 Just love 'em both.

 Totally has everyone enthralled!

 My wonderful nephew and nieces.... What's on the back of my head...??

 The thirteenth night after Christmas  - the last chance to blow things up....

Oh yeh, lets make fire in the snow!

Dogs never lie about love. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

I was looking for a quote about dogs and the new year and found nothing, but in my search found a site that gives a dog quote for every day of the year - this was the one for January 2nd... the one for Jan 1 was one that I had used before and is so wonderfully found in my book of the dog that Vicki made for me.... so it was unlikely that I would repeat it here again....and this one was quite apt as the beginning for this blog... for those that watch QI you will know what I mean.

Happy New Year people - hope that 2012 is a great year for you!  I know that it will be an amazing one for me... I turn 50 - it's a milestone that I thought I would never reach - ever...so I figure if I reach 50 then maybe, maybe, I will have left a fingerprint of myself on someones life.


During this last year I have been following an amazing woman in her journey in meeting all her facebook friends - she managed 90% which I think is amazing... I will try now and give her link...  .http://arlynnpresser.wordpress.com/  I know I should learn to embed and all that -I obviously need lessons.... anywho.. check her out... amazing!  now she has sent out the challenge to her "followers" to make a new  years resolution that is challenging - like right out there - not the usual - lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking..... stuff that you know you won't do - but something more challenging that makes you want to do it... I can not for the life of me think of anything.... other than lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking.... One that is a possibility though and one that I have definitely put off for over 11 years is to return to Australia.....  umm...I'll think about it... go back and face what I left behind... could it be that bad.. nah - would actually be quite good... who knows. maybe that is my thing for 2012?


But... can't leave you without photos... so will put on here the ones I took at New Years....

 My sister - the amazing one - taught me everything I know about cooking

My bestest friend in Iceland Guðný.... who can resist that smile? 

Yeh, I know - need to get a better camera... bonfire and fireworks at the other end of town.

 The  Australian contingent checking out the fireworks

 Maggi and Guðný relaxing whilst waiting for the Icelanders new years review... a comic spoof of what has happened over the last 12 months... This years was good, twas very very good and cut close to the bone, almost too close for many of our politicians.

 Maggi being the clever man that he is - brought fireworks with him.... hours of fun and enjoyment....

 As Guðný demonstrated with the internal ones.. ie the ones that could be used indoors...

 Maggi glassed up to take on the role of fireworks demonstrator... Guðný probably pissed off 'cos we couldn't find the other safety goggles...(Maggi did buy three sets... he knew how useless me and Guðný would be......)

 Let's light the fire..

 Sorry no fireworks picks... crappy camera remember - so instead there are shots from new years day dinner.

 All rather relaxed and sedate.... so nice

 My sister having quality Henry time... it is going to be hard for her to leave....

The blokes, Maggi - my nephew and bestest friend and the other one... Árni - the one you never lie about.