Så var det på’n igjen. 2012 ble et labert bloggeår. I 2013 skal alt bli så meget bedre. Og dermed var det kanskje en ide å friske opp bloggen litt, og starte opp med et optimistisk 01.01.2013 innlegg?

Og så var det selvfølgelig årets ord. Hadde nesten glemt at fjorårets var ‘Lift’… Kalenderen min med den fine scrappede forsiden med ordet på led an langsom død nederst i sykkelsekken min i høst, etter flere uker med meget fuktige sykkelturer fram og tilbake fra jobb. Det er faktisk første gang i mitt voksne liv at jeg ikke har en Ordning og Reda ukekalender. Alt skjer på telefonen for tiden. Så jeg får finne på en annen lur måte å ha ordet framme i pannebrasken. Dessuten så ble 2012 helt annerledes enn jeg trodde. Jeg ble rett og slett litt satt ut. Mye satt ut faktisk. Nok om det. Nytt år, sant?

Kanskje jeg skulle kjøpt meg et nytt smykke – sånn som jeg gjorde med Imperturbable?

 

Nei, det stemmer. I år skal jeg ha shoppestopp. (Ihvertfall på klær og sko.)
Johannes mente jeg burde ha shoppestopp på puter også. Det kan jeg da ikke forstå.

 

Jeg kunne jo tatt en tur til Kremmerhuset og sett om jeg fant flere betong bokstaver? Syntes Noel tablået mitt ble ganske vellykket, selv om de ikke hadde flere ‘E’er, og jeg mått improvisere litt. 🙂

 

Men hvilket ord blir det? Jeg har flere å velge imellom i år. Jeg har lurt på Peace, Serenity, Strong, Wisdom & Compassion og Give. (Og hvorfor de alltid er på engelsk er jo et annet spørsmål…)

Og kanskje før jeg går igang med årets ord, så burde jeg få avgårde årets (fjorårets) julebrev..? Her er årets engelske versjon som jeg omsider klarte å klore ned. Det er jo Johannes som er tekstforfatteren i huset – han skriver mye bedre og mer konsist og morsommere enn meg. Men i år har han bare ikke helt vært i skrivemodus. Så til slutt tok jeg saken i egne hender og skrev den engelske versjonen. Han godkjente den under tvil, men han SKAL skrive den norske. En gang. Det går liksom ikke an å bare oversette den direkte heller. Den engelske vil alltid være litt mer formell i tonen, og man kan liksom ikke tillate seg fullt så mye selvironi og humor i den engelske. De tar den ikke. Eller det er i hvertfall det vi frykter.

Her er den i hvertfall. God Jul og sånn. (Til alle mine 4 følgere :-))
 A few years ago we adopted a Sunday dinner tradition of having each family member share the worst thing that had happened that day, and the best thing that had happened that day, in an effort to get our teenagers to offer more than one syllable responses to our incessant inquiries about their daily lives. (Ironically, the only time they seemed to be more than eager to talk, was just before family scripture study or prayer. Then they usually couldn’t be stopped.) 
Anyway. Since this year has had it’s fair share of worsts and bests, our annual Bjerga Post and Update will include some of them – especially since we truly have realized that all the worsts have a flip side, and are, as Grandma Cherina would put it: Blessings in disguise.
Johannes: After 22 years with Stavanger Aftenblad, it was time to say goodbye. The newspaper industry is not what it once was, and with never ending downsizing and internal reorganizations, Johannes chose to leave. Fortunately, with a generous severance package, giving him ample time to regroup and find new employment. This has also allowed him to spend more time finishing off divers projects such as the building of a sound barrier wall between our house and the main road, and also to be  more available to care for his now aging parents of 91 and 84, who need more help now than they have in the past. We are very grateful that they live in the same house as us. It certainly simplifies things.
Joanna: The same week in May that Johannes found out he would be leaving Stavanger Aftenblad, Joanna was informed that her job as Service Manager at ELIXIA Madla was being eliminated in a nation wide reorganization of ELIXIA’s club management. No Severance package there though, so she immediately started looking for something else, and just as her 3 month resignation period was up, she started her new job as Administrative Support Coordinator for Petroleum Technology Company, a small, but booming business that designs and makes specialized gas lift valves for the Oil and Gas Industry. The pay is better, the hours too, and the office is a 30 minute bike ride away, so she is able to get in a good hour of physical exercise every week day.
Celine: Halfway through nursing school, this time last year, Celine decided she wanted to give Pilot School a try. She applied, passed the entry exam, and then needed to move back home for a semester to save money before starting Pilot School in August. She started working full time at the hospital in January and met a perfectly charming young man, originally from Iceland; Birkir. Our guess is that you will be hearing about him in future annual updates. Celine has started Pilot Training in Sandefjord, close to Tønsberg, where Joanna’s parents live. They love having her close by. As for Birkir, distance seems to make the heart grow fonder…
Simen: Simen’s life has basically been put on hold this year, due to the cornea transplant on his left eye in May, and now a delayed Crosslinking preventative procedure on his right eye. In his own words, being practically blind (albeit temporarily)  has given him a chance to take a closer look at his life, and refocus on doing whatever it takes to get back to school. We are hoping that 2013 will see some movement in that area.
Benjamin(17): School, football, weight training, guitar playing and girlfriend pretty much sum up his year. But expensive taste and expensive hobbies have kept him constantly lacking in the monetary department, so he finally started looking for work, and eventually found some. He is enjoying his financial independence, and so are his parents.
Jonah(16): He pretty much did what Benjamin did the year before him, and finished 10th grade with good enough results to get him in to the  high school of his choice. He loves his new school and class, and keeps busy with old and new friends, a new girlfriend, work, and a newly acquired scooter license and scooter. So he is mobile. He went agnostic on us this year, which is an improvement on atheist, but still quite challenging. At least he’s thinking about it, right?
Other highlights were the organization of Norway’s second stake in April, our hot and busy, but wonderful 4 week trip to the US this summer, Joanna’s parents’ 40thwedding anniversary in September, and Johannes’ 50th birthday in November.
As we move from 2012 to 2013, we try to follow the council of Neal A. Maxwell:  “Faith in God includes faith in his timing.”  So, although many things are unresolved for now, we do recognize that we are on the receiving end of countless blessings.(Some of them in disguise). And for that we are grateful.
Wishing you all a belated Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year.

Og her er bildet jeg brukte:

Men her er det jeg egentlig hadde lyst å bruke…

Bildene er fra fotoseansen til Mama og Pappa’s bryllupsdagsfeiring i September. Hvilket forøvrig var et av høydepunktene i 2012.

Særlig at vi klarte å samle ALLE barnebarna på et brett.

Sånn. Nå er jeg ihvertfall igang. Godt Nytt år.

(Men Årets Ord fant jeg ikke ut av…)