An ordinary Tuesday dinner

Making every day dinner is a regular process for us. We love to go out having dinner at one of our favorite establishments, but normally we have dinner at home. According to the book "Gubbe-Alarm" you know that you are in danger when you think you eat a lot better at home than in restaurants.

In spite of that "Grumpy man alarm" my ordinary Tuesday dinner was put together of
A fresh salad (lettuce, onion, bell pepper, pineapple)

A main course of roasted pork tenderloin with only salt end pepper 

The potato pellets are called apple hazelnuts or "pommes noisette" and fried in the oven. In addition a three pepper sauce made the dish as spicy as required.

Desert with chocolate pudding and custard makes the ending of an ordinary Tuesday dinner.

Cymraeg Skiing

 A normal Sunday Cross Country Skiing tour for Norwegians today, but new experience for our Welsh family. Helene has learned the Fishbone technique and enjoy her Norwegian winter activity.

Henrik in his first really ski experience is perhaps more interested in the ski poles, but during the day he was really good and liked the challenges. The "new" sport fashion presented by their mother is about 100 years old, but when Trine used skis the last time, she was 15 years old.

Mormor is leading the race as supporting manager.

Day 15 - Catheter removal and Solvang 4

This morning I got rid of the urine Catheter that has been my 24/7 companion in the two weeks since my Radical prostatectomy. Now the challenge to be housebroken again starts.
Will manage.

After the visit at Radiumhospitalet I felt for visiting our cottage at Solvang 4. The white snow and blue sky was an encouragement for the weeks and months ahead. The image is from Plassveien.
Hopefully the snow has disappeared from this area when we once more move in that direction at Easter.

Aker Brygge, Lunch and Walkabout

 Café Sorgenfri at Aker Brygge is a place where also children are welcome and can enjoy a lunch together with adults. The Bjørkmann Berry family gathered around the large table having large Danish Breakfast Platter and Children menu including ice-cream for dessert.

 The hosting (read paying) couple had a nice time with daughter / son in law  and grandchildren. An event to be copied.

After lunch Hedda decided to go Walkabout between the shops and restaurants at Aker Brygge.

Playing with Path

I have to find out more tomorrow, but the Path update gave new possibilities in photo editing.
Do not know Path? Path is the smart journal that helps you share life with the ones you love — your thoughts, the music you’re listening to, where you are, who you’re with, when you wake and when you sleep, and beautiful high quality photos and videos. And for those of you who like to share on public networks like Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Facebook, you can easily check-in, upload photos and videos, blog, and tweet directly from Path.

Oslo Wine Festival - Wine Testing

 Benjamin Trainer from Gaia Wine and Spirit is a professional marketing fellow regarding his wines, their origins and services. Thanks for the hours at D/S Louise and the great and various tastes you and your people gave us.

 Lots of people gathered around the tables for this annual event. Some more serious than other and the upcoming sommelier at Trattoria Popolare made his notes for his education and recommendations for coming guests and others feeling the pleasure of great wines.

 D/S Louise served some delicious food in addition to the wine, and with a glass of Faustino Primera Gran Reserva I look forward to the weeks in southern Spain coming soon.

The host  at D/S Louise, Atle Minoti, made a short visit behind the tables, and from us to you: Thanks a lot for the Oslo Wine Festival venue. You performed it well this year too.

Day 10 - Cold morning but Wine Festival

 This morning we registered 29 degrees C isolation of our kitchen walls. The temp outside was minus 14.6 C and inside before we ignited our fireplace the temp was + 14.3 C. We know that the apartment is from 1887 so there is not much more to expect.  Rather chilly morning, but increasing.

The look of my son-in-law David with a woolen hat can symbolize the winter we have in Oslo now. It is the first time ever that he has to put on protection of his head and ears. He is adapting to our customs.

Later today we will join some of the activities at Aker Brygge and the Oslo Wine Festival. Report from these events may come in a later blogpost. Hopefully the tasting of excellent brands at D/S Louise at 2pm and learning how to mix Aquavit as Cafe Sorgenfri before 5pm, will warm us up.

Day 7. A week has gone

It is Wednesday. I have emptied my night bag, had a shower, had breakfast and read incoming mails and comments on FaceBook, Twitter and Path.
It is a week ago when I on this hour I was deeply sleeping and undergoing the Cancer surgery.
Life is great.

It is also February 1st, and my El-meter has been controlled and reported to the El-net supplier.
My EL-consumption for January this year was 3215 KWH, compared to 3602 in Jan 2011 and 3407 in Jan 2010. Outside my window the temp is minus 8 C, and the forecast for the coming days are down to minus 12 C.

This is average temps, but in som part of the days (Saturday morning) the temp can go down to minus 19 C.

The incoming photo from Rikke, Tor Marius, Maja and Mari shows that the gap between here and the south-western Spanish islands are almost 45 degrees. I am in no doubt that Mari feels much more comfortable in her "mafioso" sunglasses ( see photo to the right ) covered with high UVE factor protections than the Cymraeg children freezing in the Norwegian winter.

Andalusia, I am preparing for my visit within short..

Day 5. Weekend Recovery

 It is Monday morning. 5 days after removal of the prostate cancer , and after a relaxing weekend at home. Although the services at the hospital are great and the personnel highly qualified, it is better to sleep in my own bed and make priorities according to my own decisions.
Helene and Tullen had their first common skiing exercises in Frognerparken yesterday, and to be a first Norwegian cross country runner from Swansea, Wales, Helene learned and managed the technique wery fast and LIKED the typical Norwegian winter activity.

 Another weekend activity is Waffle Baking. Here too Helene showed a professional attitude and with hot chocolate we had a nice after ski time. Waffle with Norwegian Brown cheese is our favorite.

Before and during hospitalization and recovery I have received a lot of greetings. This bucket of Tulips  from Gunnar and Ragnhild, our Munich Christmas Markets friends, have all the spring colors making the dream of a higher temperature outside my windows come closer.

To all of you following my fight against the cancer process, and sending thoughts and comments on Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Email, direct contact or by telephone, my warmest thanks for your concern.

Day 3. Home and self-caring

 Well home ready to communicate with the world through my MacBok Air and iPhone. Thanks to all greetings and good lucks from family, friends and acquaintances.
The recovery is evolving and self-caring about pains, wounds, managing the renal and urinary system are working according to information from the hospital.

If you are interested in how my surgery was performed, and the professional control of the laparoscopic procedures were done by my doctors, go to laparoscopy.no and watch the videos. Maybe you should not.

This model shows the gates in the body from where the tools are operated, and the next image shows the tools inside the body performing activities during the prostate removal process.

World's first prostate cancer robotic laparoscopic surgery

14 years ago I became the first pasient in Norway to go through a simultaneous heart and kidney transplantation. Later three more persons have gone through the same operation due to gifts from donors.
Wednesday the doctors at Radiumhospitalet (OUH) performed a radical prostatectomy on me as the first ever in the world with my diagnosis and condition. Congratulation.
The surgery was done by Dr Brennhovd (righ) and Dr Axcrona (back) using the socalled da Vinci method. On the photo you also find Dr Molven (performing biopsy and finding the tumor last fall) and Cancer nurse Rozita taking good care of me after operation.

I feel fine, the doctors are satisfied and proud of their job and I will go home from hospital today.
Thanks to you all.

January Sunday

 This Sunday we are staying inside our apartment. The temperature in our living room this morning required activity in the fireplace and later some Dumle candy to keep up the spirit.  Tullen has for more than a week felt pain in her back and after babysitting for many days , her chest sounds like a real flu is evolving. If not better tomorrow she has to see the doctor.

Winter at last

This morning we once more were surprised of heavy snow fall. That should not be a stange situation when the calendar shows middle of January, but every time the white flakes fall down, the emergency clearing services from the community are not ready. The first snow ploughs I saw this morning on my way to the hospital, moved up the main road three in a row at noon.
However, the beauty of almost untouched streets are lovely.

Update Saturday afternoon:
Continuous snowing and more problems for Citizens of Oslo

Happy birthday, Hedda

Today Hedda is 2 years young.
Although last week has been challenging for her and her siblings due to severe chest infection for all of them, they are all improving after testing the Norwegian Health System. Establishing permanent local doctor (fastlege) and received important help there, visiting emergency rooms and admitted to hospital have been part of their mothers activities. Hopefully the recommended treatment will have effect.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

"Minstemor" Mari celebrates her 6 months day on this same day. Mari´s photo can be seen on a previous blogpost further down. She had some red dots on her body yesterday, but hopefully these dots are not indication of another medical challenge. She is going for a holiday with her family very soon.

Wrong diagnosis but same message from a doctor

This morning I was admitted to OUH Radiumhospitalet for preparation linked to a planned Cancer operation taking place on coming Monday.
After lunch I was told that the operation was postponed till next Wednesday.
OK, my special body and previous medical history are a bit complicated so I accept that the hospital want to peak their professional medical team, and the illustration above is only a way to make fun of the delayed situation.
Instead of sleeping at a corridor bed tonight, we went to DS Louise, Aker Brygge and had Skrei for dinner. Try it you too.

Mari´s Naming day

Today we celebrated the Naming Day of Mari (6 months). The guest of honor herself did not pay much attention to the family party. She had a temp of 39 and stayed in bed most of the day. Hopefully she will recover quickly and give us her smiling attitude again and again.

Helene´s school and Math homework

 Picking up Helene at school today. The first week has developed very well and she is happy with class mates and teachers. After school we went to a shop buying skiing equipment and she is really excited for trying the new cross-country skis during the coming days.

Then she did her homework. Logical math. A coming Mensa member?

Sunday visit and waffles

 It´s cold outside, but a Sunday tour from their short term hired apartment to our home is just an appetizer before the waffles are served.

 The chef is showing Maja some of the first examples. Maja loves to take part in the kitchen work.

 And the load of waffles served in the living room with brown cheese, strawberry jam and sour cream was to the satisfaction for everyone. A nice Sunday visit that will be copied in many weeks I thrust.

Memories from "earlier times"

My son-in-law David is online.
Always.
And he can be followed on Twitter @berrydm if you want to get some interesting links to the world. Yesterday he gave me this link to The Restart Page.

You will probably remember some of these rebooting messages. Do you still use one of these antique operating systems it may be time for upgrading of your devices and/or systems.

Path, next generation FaceBook ?

Path  is the smart journal that helps you share life with the ones you love — your thoughts, the music you’re listening to, where you are, who you’re with, when you wake and when you sleep, and beautiful high quality photos and videos. And for those of you who like to share on public networks like Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Facebook, you can easily check-in, upload photos and videos, blog, and tweet directly from Path.


Try it, I am on already.

Christmas lasts till leftovers are gone

It´s a few days till the end of Christmas (Jan.13th), but in our home we still have Christmas food.
The Christmas Tree was transported to the junkyard on Monday, but the fridge is still full of leftovers from the Christmas week. Christmas cakes ended yesterday and today we had traditional Christmas Pork Ribs for dinner.

Now it´s time for preparing other important traditions. Life is Great!!

Happy New Year - Welcome 2012

With some photos from the family brunch table today, I wish you all a Happy 2012.

From yesterday night the firework at midnight over the Oslo night seen from Akershus Fortress was very nice, and here you can see some spectacular shots from my iPhone 4:

 This was Oslo City Official Firework from a barge in the bay

 Here you can see the barge at sea outside Aker Brygge