Sewing Club Housewife Vacation

[Photos from the weekend of 4th and 5th October, words and layout from 30 December 2014.]

One of the girls (ok, women, I guess we’re all well over thirty!) in a sewing club I belong to has access to a lovely summer house not too far away from the capital area.

Over the past few years, we’ve all tried to gather there for an overnight stay, at least once per year.  We call it a ‘housewife vacation’ since we all have 2 or 3 children, and really, taking a break from them can be a very good thing!

This time six out of eight could make it.  Some arrived late on the Friday evening, but I hitched a ride on the Saturday, and we met up with the gang at the Fontana Geothermal Baths at Laugarvatn. (19 images total)

The first snow of the season.

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Handball Meet@The Home of the Vikings

[Friday 03 October 2014 was when this happened, Monday 29 December was the day it got written down for posterity.]

Anna practices team handball with the local HK club.  There will be about five meets this school year, and the first one happened at the home of the Vikings (Víkingsheimilið).  Her club had some five teams playing, with mixed results.  Let’s just say they’re not the most feared of clubs… 🙂

Anna’s team did ok.  I vaguely recall them winning at least one game, making one draw, and losing two, but eh, who cares?

Anna is a good defender, being tall helps! (5 images total)

Anna is number 25.

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Kids Hanging Out in the Living Room

[Photos: 01 October 2014.  Blogged: 28 December 2014.  Only three months late.  Hehe.]

Feeling panicky over not taking any photos in September (it felt like), I grabbed the camera while the kids were being unusually agreeable in the living room. (4 images total.)

Emma chewing on a wet rag in our ever tidy living room.

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FFF #2.2 – Gljúfrasteinn and Cafe Álafoss

[Happened 28 Sept 2014.  Written 1 October.  Maybe.]

The weather forecast looked promising, and the fall colors were busy being colorful, so I decided to venture a little further afield than usual, and visited Gljúfrasteinn.  Gljúfrasteinn (TripAdvisor) is where Iceland’s only Nobel laureate, Halldór Laxness, lived with his second wife, Auður, for some decades.  It’s a little outside the main city area, about a 20 minute drive from our home.

I found out when I’d arrived that there is no photography inside the house, but there’s a pretty good gallery on their webpage.  Every guest gets their own audio-player and headset, and walks around the house in quiet listening to a well produced and interesting audio-tour.

My impression was that Halldór and Auður were cool cats in their day and age.  And I definitely came away thinking that Halldór was exceedingly well married!  Not only did Auður decorate the house to perfection, and produce her own sewing-art, but they also had a lot of friends (including many artists who gave them art), and routinely hosted parties, large and small.  The art in the house is really quite interesting and surprisingly colorful.  Although their speaking style sounds very old-style to my modern ears, they were probably considered somewhat avant-garde back in the day!?!?  (I’m guessing!)

Anyway, to make up for the lack of pictures indoors, I took a bunch of photos of the surrounding area.

After I’d had my fill of nature, I drove back and made a quick pit-stop at the Álafoss Cafe in Mosfellsbær (aka Mos-Eisley) before heading back home to the peeps. (45 images total)

Looking towards the city, which is hiding behind that hill/mountain there in the distance.  See that bridge up close on the left?  A river runs under it.

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Outside Our House

[27 September is when it was at, but today is 27 December 2014. Which is both close and far away.]

The weather was pretty good, so the kids got kicked outside.  I tagged along since they have trouble being responsible for Emma for more than 15 minutes or so. (7 images total)

A small selection of the boys in the neighborhood on display.

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At the Summer House With Finnur’s Parents

[Photos from 19 and 20 September, but layout and words from 27 December 2014.  Formally.]

Finnur went on one of his Everton pilgrimages to Liverpool over a long weekend, and since there’s strength in numbers when it comes to herding kids and keeping them alive, I invited myself and the kids along with Finnur’s parents to their summer house at Laugarvatn. (10 images total)

This is what happens when Emma’s given chocolate cookies/biscuits to keep her quiet during the 1-hour long drive. Charming!

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Coffee Gathering at Finnur’s Parents’ Place

[We’ve made it to 14 September 2014, although today is technically 27 December. Oops?!]

Finnur’s dad’s birthday had come and gone in August, but the delivery of his presents from his kids had gotten delayed due to … something.  I can’t remember any more, but it probably had something to do with us being tardy.

Anyway, we went to deliver the presents and got good company and yummy food in return. (4 images total)

Þórarinn being presented with a bunch of hot-tub related things.

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Kids Being Adorable

[After Thingvellir I took the kids to a local playground.  So yeah, happened on 13 September, written up on 27 December.  Of the same year though!]

After Emma’s nap, there were still a lot of hours left in the day, so I took her and Bjarki to Bjarki’s old daycare, where we hung out for a bit. (3 images total)

This is what big brothers are for!

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Idyllic Day at Thingvellir

[Here is a blast from the past: A trip to Thingvellir on 13 September 2014.  This was formally documented on 27 December 2014.  Enjoy the snowlessness!]

Finnur wanted to fly his drone around Thingvellir during autumn-color season, so we drove there one Saturday morning, and hung out for a bit. (40 images total)

Bjarki being a happy camper.

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