Week 34: The weather is still great – sunny, not particularly warm, but not cold either. Although one morning I could have used a pair of light gloves.
Monday I went to the health center to make an appointment to see a doctor for an annual physical. There’s nothing wrong, I just thought it would take a couple of months to set up an appointment. The receptionist said, you will have to wait a little while, but we can make an appointment in 2 weeks. That myth about waiting forever has vanished. I’ll report about the doctor appointment later.
Confirmation classes began this week. As one of the exercises the kids play a type of blindman’s bluff. A blindfolded student is led around the church by another student who can see. They explore all over the church, including the organ gallery, pulpit, and altar. I think the purpose is to make the kids familiar with the church, so it isn’t thought of as an unfriendly, foreign place.
A type of county fair is here for the weekend. It’s called “Horva Festival”. There are horse shows, cattle shows, machinery on display, stands selling food, stands for advertisement (camping, hunting, sports). The emphasis is on the environment, ecology and organic products. On Saturday the Helgeland Chamber Choir sang a 45-minute concert in the Viking Longhouse. The acoustics were surprisingly good. Saturday afternoon I went to a theater production of “Growth of the Soil” by Knut Hamsun. Hamsun won the Nobel prize in literature for this book in 1920. Unfortunately his reputation is permanently stained because of his pro-Nazi activities during World War II. The production was wonderful with just two actors. The venue was in a hayloft, about 2 miles from town. On Sunday they crowned Miss Northern Norway, and she is a cow. Her name is Beata. She made it on national TV.
Sunrise on August 29 is at 5:33 am, sunset at 8:45 pm.
Tuesday’s weather reminded me of the tropics: not that it was warm, but it poured rain for 15 minutes, then the sun came out. It alternated rain and sun all day. As the week progressed it got sunnier.
Tuesday evening I had my first choir rehearsal. There were 8 who came. The choir has a different function than church choirs in the U.S. Mostly they lead in the singing of hymns and liturgical songs. The volunteer choirs here don’t sing every Sunday, usually every 3rd Sunday and on high holidays (Christmas and Easter). So we’ll see how the fall progresses. One faux pas: I didn’t know I was supposed to make coffee for the break. I’ll have a pot brewing next week.
No funerals this week. Rigmor is the name of the lady who runs the local mortuary. I hadn’t heard that name before, but it’s a name that’s been around for a few centuries. I thought it very funny that the mortician’s name is so close to rigor mortis. Rigmor is the only one in Sandnessjøen who owns a Hummer, so a little ridicule is not inappropriate. She must be charging too much for funerals if she can afford a Hummer, to say nothing about buying gasoline for it. Gas is about $7.50/gallon.
Sunday I had two services: one at 11:15 on the island of Mindland, near Tjøtta, and an evening service in Sandnessjøen. Mindland doesn’t have a piano or organ so I have to haul the electric piano to Tjøtta, get on the ferry, then drive the 5 km to the meeting house. At least I have no time constraints, except for catching the ferries.
During the drive to Tjøtta I saw some leaves beginning to change color. Fall really has begun.
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