My Mom Has Arrived!

My mom made it safely to Norway this morning, and ever since she arrived, she has been relentlessly falling in love with all things Norwegian. She loves the mountains, she loves the lakes, she loves the clouds, she loves the churches, she loves the houses...we stopped many times on the way back from Gardemoen to take pictures. She even insisted on a photo of our guestroom, where she is thrilled to be staying. I must say, her enthusiasm is contagious, and it is fun to see Norway through new eyes--it IS a gorgeous country, the ancient churches are amazing, and, yes, I'll say it, our guest room is fabulous. (It was mustard yellow with institutional gray carpeting when we moved in--those pine floors took hours to sand smooth, and I agonized over whether or not that lovely violet color would be too vibrant for the walls. After all that work, it is nice to have someone appreciate the room so heartily!) The only time we had to reign in her giddiness was in Gardemoen, when she stopped short in front of a poster and gasped, "Nissen? What does this say about the nissen?" (Nissen are the little Christmas elves here, and my mom is obsessed with all the trolls and elves in Norwegian fairy tales.) I had to gently explain that, no, the poster wasn't advertising any merry little holiday elves, but was in fact promoting Nissan cars. Kevin was polite enough not to burst into hysterical laughter--me, not so much! I can't wait to hear what new joyous exclamations tomorrow will bring!