Dagbók Hrefnu og Finns

Ginger Bread House / Yule 2023 / Anna’s 20th Birthday!

2023-12-23Anna, Birthday, Christmas, Finnur's family, Friends, Hrefna's family, Us Standard

[Photos taken 23 – 30 December 2023, posted online 20 June 2024. I now have a 67 year old mom!?!]

This yule went pretty much by the book. No surprises.

We managed to organize ourselves enough to make the annual ginger-bread-house, and some cookies. Then it was on to Christmas itself, which we celebrated on Christmas Eve as is the Icelandic custom, hosting my mom and one of my brothers. We spent Christmas Day at Finnur’s parents’ place, eating and playing social whist. That was also the day that Anna turned 20 years old!

My work gave us the days between Christmas and New Year’s off, so the days were calm and restorative. We ended the week by going with friends to the “summer” house, as the temperatures plunged outside.

Saturday 23 December 2023

This year’s entirely-home-made ginger-bread-house.

Dublin Weekend / Volcanic Eruption / Tree Decoration

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[Photos taken 15 – 22 December 2023, posted online 19 June 2024. Pouring rain outside, but did manage to build a “lid” for another veggie-box, so now two are covered.]

Finnur had spent the week in Dublin, Ireland, for work. I decided to use some of that sweet disposable income to join him for the weekend, as I’d never spent any time in Dublin, just flown in and then driven north (also for work).

A day after we returned, the ground split open an a volcanic eruption began. It would be the first of many.

As Christmas got closer, we put up and decorated a tree, as well as did other bits a bobs to prepare. Happily, snow came and covered the ground, meaning the days felt a little brighter.

Friday 15 December 2023

At Keflavik airport at 5 in the morning (ugh).

Advent Activates / Food Bribes / Kid Photoshoot

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[Photos taken 01 – 14 December 2023, posted online 18 June 2024. Yesterday was our 30-years-as-a-couple anniversary. Time flies!]

Peak darkness approached, and yule loomed. To lighten the spirits I attended an advent concert, and attempted to start playing Gloomhaven.

After the massive layoffs at the end of November, my work attempted to literally butter and beer the remaining staff up by providing an avalanche of free food and drink in the following week.

The annual photo-shoot with the kids happened, and so did Emma’s piano recital. We went on the hunt for an “adult” guitar for Bjarki, as Finnur went on a work-trip to Ireland. I would later join him there for a long weekend.

Friday 01 December 2023

On 1 December 1918, Denmark recognized Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state, known as the “Kingdom of Iceland”, which was freely associated to Denmark in a personal union with the Danish king. Or to put it more bluntly, Denmark was so busy in WWI that Iceland used the opportunity to declare independence in all matters except foreign ones. Harpa waved an LED-Icelandic-flag to mark the date, as Finnur and I went downtown for dinner.

Endless Food Pics / Shed Completed / Yule Prep

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[Photos taken 01 – 30 November 2023, posted online 12 June 2024. Yesterday was the first day of volcano-smog in the capital area from the ongoing volcanic eruption close to the Blue Lagoon, that began two weeks ago (30 May 2024).]

Winter kept coming, it got quite cold, and I began to feed the birds, in part to get the free nature TV going in the backyard! With the added darkness, the outside lights went up, and the November sales were helpful in getting me to buy Christmas presents early.

Finnur had a bunch of tasks to complete at the summer house, so I ended up responsible for more dinners than usual. I took photos of them to prove I was attempting to keep the kids alive. There are also food pics from the summer house, work, a birthday, and at least one restaurant. I wonder if I was just hungry?

The garbage bin shed was quietly completed, I guess I’d run out of wood-photographing-juice. However, screwing in the missing half of the screws would have to wait until May/June, for no real good reason.

The month ended with a mass-layoff at my workplace, which was not a pleasant experience, although I kept my job. Bjarki’s band recital a couple of days later made life a little better though.

Wednesday 01 November 2023

The bird-“table” from the previous winter was looking a little sad, and disintegrated about a month later. I understood why when I realized that it was mostly stapled together.

Shed Sided / Women’s Strike / Halloween

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[Photos taken 07 – 31 October 2023, posted online 10 June 2024. Summer has arrived!!]

The outside temperatures started dipping below freezing point, but we continued working on the garbage bin shed. Thus the build turned into a bit of race against the weather and darkness as the days passed. By the end of the month the shed had three sides (there would not be doors), and we were very close to adding a roof!

Other than that we went to the summer house, attended a birthday, harvested veggies, procured winter clothes, had dinner with friends, I kept documenting my gymming, and there was a sewing club. I participated in the 2023 women’s strike, visited the old-houses-museum with Emma, and we carved pumpkins for Halloween.

Also, I did try to split this post into two parts when I realized just how ridiculously long it was, but copying and pasting turned out to be not as simple as that. So, you’ve been warned, this is long!

Saturday 07 October 2023

Cousin’s Wedding / Shed Floored

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[Photos taken 01 – 06 October 2023. Posted online 09 June 2024. The winds have finally calmed down a bit, and the weather is gorgeous. Do we dare plant summer flowers outside? Also, I tore up my sprained-back again on Thursday, while innocently leaning forward to wash my hands, after perhaps doing too much physical stuff earlier that day. Grumble.]

A dear cousin asked me to photograph her wedding on the first day of October, and after giving my usual spiel of “I’m not a professional by any measure, I don’t really do any post-processing, but I’ll do my best” I went to gather my collection of camera-stuff.

I’m still using the (then) 10-year-old Canon 70D as my “big” camera, and I now have three Canon L-lenses (1: 17-40mm f4, 2: 70-200mm f4, and 3: 100 mm f2.8), all of which I used on the day. However, I will admit that the loud shutter-noise in the quiet church had me wishing for a mirrorless camera, but I’ve yet to work up the courage to go there…

The wedding day was wonderful, and left us all with big smiles. Congratulations dear cousin and spouse!

In other news, the garbage bin shed floor/deck was finally finalized, and we could start working on the walls. I tried to keep moving even though my shoulder was in loud-protest-mode, and Bjarki went in for wrist-surgery to remove a ganglion cyst.

Sunday 01 October 2023

Garbage-Bin-Shed Project Restarts / Shoulder Bails

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[Photos taken 12 – 30 September 2023. Posted online 06 June 2024. We still have high winds, but thankfully very little precipitation, at least here in the south…]

Finnur’s twisted foot finally healed enough that he could start walking around without support. Thus it was time to restart the build-a-garbage-bin-shed project, which had of course expanded into a resurface-the-old-deck-first project.

My left shoulder finally gave in, and I was diagnosed with muscles-on-strike in my lower left back, which was causing all sorts of unalignment. After the physical therapist had rolled his eyes at me enough times as I detailed my unwise gym escapades, I took a break from the group classes. They’re just too much fun, and I tend to do too much.

Complicating my recovery a bit was taking on screwing duties for the deck, but that was just too much fun not to do (also mostly using the other arm!). I also began attending weekly classes in (contract) bridge, met up with old friends, went out on walks/jogs, and marveled at the autumn colors as they began appearing.

Tuesday 12 September 2023

Here we go again, starting off where we’d left off before our trip to Finland.

Autumn Arrives With Furniture Swap-Around

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[Photos taken 01 – 11 Sept 2023, posted online 04 June 2024. Weather warnings all over Iceland this week, with snow in the north, strong winds etc. “June”, you say?]

Autumn arrived with a bang, as high winds pushed sheets of rain under our balcony, soaking the hiding sofa-pillows. I caved and moved the pillows inside, stacking the units left outside for winter.

Finnur’s foot was still quite bad, so the garbage-shed project was put on hold for a bit.

Instead I rearranged furniture. Most notably I dismantled my unloved front-room Covid-home-office, and moved the kid-sized Ikea-desk and chair up to Emma’s room, which resulted in a nasty pile of stuff in the hallway, and a wall in dire need of spackling and paint.

Anna made morale-boosting bagels, there was high-tea and dinner with friends, we had family over at the summer house, and I hung out at the gym.

Friday 01 September 2023

The first autumn storm had me moving the outside pillows inside, and stacking the rest for winter…

Last Three E-Biking Rides & Regular Life Reboot

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[Photos taken 19 – 31 August 2023, posted online 02 June 2024. Iceland has elected a new president! (The Wikipedia article is in flux, but it will hopefully settle down soon). It’s a mostly ceremonial position, the only real power is vetoing legislation, which almost never happens. Thankfully nobody is alleging election fraud and the baton will pass peacefully.]

The guided e-biking group began riding again for the fall. I would manage to go on three rides before an ache in my left shoulder disqualified me for the rest of the season.

Bjarki got his practice driving license, and frequently asked us to go out on drives with him. I tried to remain calm. We all returned to school and work, and I managed to also keep going to the gym.

Small home improvement projects got implemented, and the summer house also got some love and attention. I even managed to read a book outside in the backyard, gasp!

Saturday 19 August 2023

The e-biking group gathered at the 2006 Úthlíð-church, about an 80 minute drive from the capital area.

Scout-Camp, New School, & 80th Birthday

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[Photos taken 14 – 18 August 2023, posted online 01 June 2024. It keeps raining, but the weather remains mild. Shall we all be collectively shocked that it’s June already? Oh, and today Iceland elects a new president.]

School loomed as we returned from Finland, and it was also time to return to work. Bjarki’s new school started up that week, but Emma still had a week and a half to go, so she went to an all-day scout-camp with some friends. I can’t remember when Anna’s school restarted…

I took action to start Emma’s room’s reorganization, began visiting the gym again, but the work-week concluded with Finnur’s dad’s 80th Birthday and Party.