Happy memories

Hi All

Posting my parathyroid history to Rachel and Tigerlily yesterday bought back some very happy memories which I thought I would share.   My first operation was as an emergency admission so there wasn't really time to organise someone to look after my two small babies properly.   My husband telephoned his mother who flew to the rescue (first time flying) although she came totally unprepared for the snow and cold (this was winter in Oslo) so she spent most of time trapped indoors.   However, on the second morning she was crying when I rang her and she told me that she felt she had woken up in fairy land, there having been a heavy fall of snow overnight.   She was enchanted.   Our house is surrounded by huge fir trees and the snow was hanging on the branches which, she said, looked as if someone had sprinkled them with fairy dust.

Later on, my parathyroid surgery was a planned admission and, again my mother in law came to take charge of my daughters while I was in hospital.

As a 'thank you' for being so brilliant my husband and I flew her and two of his aunts out to Oslo the next winter.   They had never been skiing before (in fact had never flown before).   We kitted them out in assorted ski gear and took them skiing in the woods local to where we lived, this was cross country skiing which is traditional in Norway.   Being somewhat over-weight you can imagine the funny scene but they were definitely all willing to have a go.   They were incredulous when we told them they were standing in the middle of a glacial lake which had frozen over and we had many, many laughs.

Sadly my mother in law died during the summer which followed from a heart attack.   But before she died she told my husband that her holiday with us was one of the happiest times she had ever had.   Happy memories.

Londanna.

Lovely story Londana 

We spent a wonderful pre Christmas holiday when the children were 3 & 7 in Finland visiting Lapland & Father Christmas. We did flat skiing, snow mobiles and husky rides. We stayed in a log cabin with a big fire and a sauna and we were surrounded by giant fir trees all covered in snow, infact everything was covered in snow about 3ft deep. It sounds just like it does in Oslo, I don't know if it gets as cold there though, it was - 18 but a wonderful holiday once in a lifetime (unless we get to take any Grandchildren when they come along !)
Amanda xxxx

Amanda

It doesn't get quite that cold in Oslo (or didn't) but the temperature averaged -12 in January and February, and all children between the ages of 1.5 and 6/7 do still play outside in the snow (suitably dressed of course) for 3.5 hours a day until the temperature reaches -10, after that age they have to begin formal school.   This is cosidered to be wonderfully healthy and certainly my two thoroughly enjoyed it.   From your posting you were in Finnish Lapland which is inside the arctic circle and the temps are always lower up there - we loved it too.

I am off to Tromso on the west coast of Norway inside the Circle next week where it is currently -9 (global warming or climate change has affected the temps up there too) and we are looking forward to it.   Hopefully the skies will be clear of snow and we will get to see the northern lights again.   Sometimes we catch them, sometimes we dont.   So fingers crossed.

Londanna

Hi Londanna
Yes we were about 200 miles north of the artic circle (so we were told) and they did say I does get much colder than it was that year. We wanted to do the trip to see the Northern Lights but the children were too young and it was a very late one.
Yes I can imagine it is a very healthy life for children. Emily was 3 and wrapped up in thermals and a snow suit she was fine, the fact that the snow was deeper than she was tall meant we had to make sure she didn't disappear in a drift but they both loved it and we often reminisce about it.
Have a wonderful time, I'd love to go.
Amanda xxxx

My grandfather used to take coach parties to Norway in the 1930's, he was the coach driver.  My mother has a few pictures of him standing next to his bus and the snow would be banked up higher than the bus. I have a lovely silver/enamel ring showing land of the midnight sun that he brought back for my grandmother.  
We lived in Germany for a while and sometimes it would be so cold, it hurt to breathe, the snow we had was so dry and it was rubbish for making snowmen with as it would not stick together, however sledging in the local Tier Park used to be great fun.
Thanks for sharing your memories Londonanna, it made me remember happier times, when I did not have a care in the world.
Sue x

All your lovely stories and memories are reminding me how much I hate the cold, snow and ice with a vengeance! It all looks beautiful and fairytale-like but brrrrrr way too chilly for me. I've only got to see a few flakes of snow falling on the weather forecast and my instinct is to rush to the shops to panic buy and stockpile so I don't have to go out in it! Actually I don't mind snow, it's ice I hate - I'm petrified of slipping and breaking something. My dad was in the RAF so my childhood and teenage memories are of travelling to and living in lovely warm countries - Hong Kong, Singapore, Cyprus, Malta .......

Jasmine x