July 2025
Lots of Stuffies
28/07/25 07:36 Filed in: Family
We found a parade or line of most of the girls' stuffies or stuffed animals on the living room floor. There are quite a few of them and the photo here is just the start. It does include the 2 purple/pink/blue moose I bought for them at the Stalheim Hotel. A memories of the trip to Norway!
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Norwegian Words
I am sure we experienced this word or meaning when we were in Norway. We did enjoy drinks and a beer outside with our dear friends.
Utepils (Norwegian)
In Norway, getting outside after a long, dark winter is important for the soul. And having a beer when you finally get to do so? Even better. There’s actually a Norwegian word for the joy you get from drinking a beer outside: utepils. It’s a compound word; ute means “outside” and pils refers to pilsner beer. Some translate utepils to mean the very first drink of the year enjoyed outside, but many consider it to be a broader term, referring to every beer consumed outside, no matter the time of year.
Vicki and Lene at rooftop bar
in Oslo's Munch Museum
Anita, Marybeth, me, and Bob having
refreshments on Lene's deck, Oppegard
Utepils (Norwegian)
In Norway, getting outside after a long, dark winter is important for the soul. And having a beer when you finally get to do so? Even better. There’s actually a Norwegian word for the joy you get from drinking a beer outside: utepils. It’s a compound word; ute means “outside” and pils refers to pilsner beer. Some translate utepils to mean the very first drink of the year enjoyed outside, but many consider it to be a broader term, referring to every beer consumed outside, no matter the time of year.
Vicki and Lene at rooftop bar
in Oslo's Munch Museum
Anita, Marybeth, me, and Bob having
refreshments on Lene's deck, Oppegard
Runrig Concert Then-And Now
Bob and I found our favorite music group while driving the Highlands of Scotland listening to BBC Gaelic on the car radio. This was probably in the late 1990s. We were headed across the "Pass of the Cows" to Applecross". The band plays Celtic Rock and is called Runrig.
They began the same year we were married in 1973 and retired as of their 45th Anniversary at "The Last Dance" concerts of August 17th and 18th, 2018. We were there for Bob's birthday on that 17th. The group had two awesome lead singers, Donnie Munro and Bruce Guthro. We have most all of their albums.
We visited Stirling Castle a few weeks ago when in Scotland and I was able to get a photo of the field where the concert was played (photo). Memories, now "Empty Glens"…
2018 Runrig Concert at base
of Stirling Castle
View from the castle to
grass concert field…"Empty Glens"
They began the same year we were married in 1973 and retired as of their 45th Anniversary at "The Last Dance" concerts of August 17th and 18th, 2018. We were there for Bob's birthday on that 17th. The group had two awesome lead singers, Donnie Munro and Bruce Guthro. We have most all of their albums.
We visited Stirling Castle a few weeks ago when in Scotland and I was able to get a photo of the field where the concert was played (photo). Memories, now "Empty Glens"…
2018 Runrig Concert at base
of Stirling Castle
View from the castle to
grass concert field…"Empty Glens"
One Night In Idaho
11/07/25 16:57 Filed in: Current Affairs
My college career encompassed 6 years at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. Pullman is approximately 10 miles from Moscow, ID. We spent a lot of time shopping in Moscow and we have family living in the area.
I just finished watching the Amazon Prime documentary about the murders of 4 beautiful students in Moscow early in the morning of November 13, 2022. Being so close to Moscow in spirit living in Pullman so many informative years, I felt the loss of these students greatly. My heart breaks for their families and how this loss will be with them for the rest of their lives. This should never happen. God be with them.
I just finished watching the Amazon Prime documentary about the murders of 4 beautiful students in Moscow early in the morning of November 13, 2022. Being so close to Moscow in spirit living in Pullman so many informative years, I felt the loss of these students greatly. My heart breaks for their families and how this loss will be with them for the rest of their lives. This should never happen. God be with them.
Lincoln As Portrayed In Movies
08/07/25 11:53 Filed in: Presidents | Culture
I came across a history fact or question: Who portrayed Abraham Lincoln the best in a movie?
I would have said Daniel Day Lewis who is one of my favorite actors to watch. He does not appear to be acting now and is retired yet he is outstanding in his skill. One can read more about different movies on Lincoln and in addition about why he is considered the best in portraying Lincoln.
I would have said Daniel Day Lewis who is one of my favorite actors to watch. He does not appear to be acting now and is retired yet he is outstanding in his skill. One can read more about different movies on Lincoln and in addition about why he is considered the best in portraying Lincoln.
Kelpie Watching
06/07/25 07:55 Filed in: Photography | Travel
Is the Kelpie watching me or am I watching the Kelpie? Kelpies are one of two mythical (are they?) creatures in Scotland - Unicorns are the other. Kelpies are a shape-shifting water spirit. More of the folklore (or is it?) here.
Kelpie watching…
Kelpie watching…
249th Fourth of July
Today is the 249th Anniversary of our 4th of July Independence Day. A day to start the countdown to our country's 250th Anniversary.
Some interesting facts about John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, friends and rivals, plus the 5th President of the United States, James Monroe…
"Since 1777, the Fourth of July has been celebrated as the day the United States of America formally broke from Great Britain and became an independent nation. It’s a pretty stunning coincidence, then, that the day of the nation’s birth is also marked by the deaths of three separate founding fathers and early U.S. presidents: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe. More unlikely still, Adams and Jefferson died just hours apart on the exact same day: July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence.
The fact that America’s second, third, and fifth presidents all died on the same day has sparked a certain degree of speculation. In eulogies for Jefferson, mourners suggested he had willed himself to survive through illness until reaching the significant 50th-anniversary milestone of the nation’s independence".
Some interesting facts about John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, friends and rivals, plus the 5th President of the United States, James Monroe…
"Since 1777, the Fourth of July has been celebrated as the day the United States of America formally broke from Great Britain and became an independent nation. It’s a pretty stunning coincidence, then, that the day of the nation’s birth is also marked by the deaths of three separate founding fathers and early U.S. presidents: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe. More unlikely still, Adams and Jefferson died just hours apart on the exact same day: July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence.
The fact that America’s second, third, and fifth presidents all died on the same day has sparked a certain degree of speculation. In eulogies for Jefferson, mourners suggested he had willed himself to survive through illness until reaching the significant 50th-anniversary milestone of the nation’s independence".
