Nyttår!

Smørbrød. Sandwich, directly translated, butter bread. Why does this fact linger on my mind? I haven't the faintest idea, but it is the small wonders of life that make your average day worth talking about. 

This stretch of New Years holiday time is everything worth talking/writing about, so grab a coffee or a cocktail and read on for the first great story of 2017!

Manshausen in a wind storm 

We had guests arrive shortly after Christmas and the island, Mie, Napoleon and his Dream Team and myself were all prepared for these human creatures to come grant us with their company. Mie handled the cooking which allowed me to go about my business continuing to limit my interaction with human beings; it can be scary transitioning back into the human world after being a sheep for so long. 

Earned my Sheep Card. Baaaaaaa

All 4 of the sea cabins were booked for New Years Eve and we had a collage of nationalities and personalities here on the island. I found that one of the special qualities of Manshausen is not these award winning sea cabins or the famous explorer that owns it (but those are pretty cool aspects as well, let's be real) but the personable nature of the island. It's small, very small, so when it is populated it becomes a temporary community. New Years was celebrated by groups of people who entered as strangers but then came together as family.

In This Issue: Manshausen laced with snow

Traveling ALONE makes you think that one would get lonely or feel like they are on a "self discovery" escapade. Grant it, I have felt lonely on occasion, but on a whole I've felt more fulfilled and surrounded by "family" than I ever have. I haven't known anyone here for very long, and some I may never see again, but each person has filled part of the hole that is "completeness" in my conscious. For a few years now I've been "itching"; nothing felt settled, everything seemed to be floating in 0 gravity around me and while I was surrounded by everyone and everything I loved I could never seem to keep everything together. I've been anxious, in every physical sense of the word.

This will never get old

Even the Asian disaster (another bar story to be asked about in person) somehow completed this crazy mess of uncertainty in my head and, while nothing is at peace in my mind, my little brain astronauts have finally got their act together and secured all the nonsense in my head.

Suddenly, after the New Years festivities were over and one by one everyone parted ways, chaos ensued and alone was no longer a word in my vocabulary *cue suspenseful music*

Accompanying Børge to Manshausen a few days ago was a group of 18 people coming for a conference. I was prepared. Everything was set up and cleaned except the cabins because people were checking out that morning, but I planned my diligence that I would be able to get everything completed before their arrival and then...BLACKOUT. That was not a word I wanted to hear from a guest during breakfast. All the lights in the cabins and the conference room were out. Excellent. Absolutely excellent.

Dried fish

 I've duct taped hoses that have been torn in half, I've fixed door handles, I've learned to communicate with sheep, I've helped moved flooring and building materials from the mainland to the island in a dinky little boat, I've even been told that I could have a career in baking if I didn't want to do physics so what is one little "blackout" to add to the list. On a morning that had a schedule laced like a corset. With 18 guests arriving. On an island with no easy access to an electrician. Ha. I see no issues.

Clearly there were issues. After being on the phone for a few hours and trouble shooting multiple circuits and being mystified with the causes of this event, the guests arrived, the cabins were decorated with post New Years chaos and there was still no power. I was heading down to the dock to start the final troubleshooting to find what exactly was causing he problem I saw the boat, masses of people in puffy jackets and suitcases were marching my way, so instead of going about my business I turned and ran back to the building in a panic with the intention of hiding...because that's how adults solve problems. Duh. 

The cause of the power outage is still not fully figured out, but for the sake of "the show must go on!" we got them up and running again.

"New Year new me" bulls**. I bake and am a unicorn now. Fight me. Skål

The rest of their stay was busy as ever; constant running around serving and cleaning and fixing and doing other chores, we never had a chance to sit down. Up until 1400 today I was pulling 15-17 hour days and running on 3-4 hours of sleep per night since December 30th. My feet still hurt.

The pain of the work day was soothed with the gourmet meals provided by the chef that was hired in to cater this event: Halvar Ellingsen. I have never eaten such food in my life before. Everything danced and died in my mouth just as God intended it to in an intoxicating cycle that is "taste and digest".  It was 5 star dinners all around, almost to fancy for me to be in the same vicinity.

Food and Stuff.

We now have enough food to last till Armageddon; this group over-estimated how much they would be eating for breakfast and snacks so leftovers and other fun things must be eaten soon!

I escaped for some peace during this tumultuous time so as to not fully go crazy. The weather has been quiet (God be Praised! -yes, you must say it in that voice please) and the last glimpse of the sunsets have been the supporting course to the meals that are for eyes only. One evening I had to go sit myself down at the south side of the island so I could be alone and let the dark silk ripples of the water flood my focus so I could watch the orange and red of the sky without a thought. It was an angry sky, Venus and Mars pierced the black that sat above the red horizon practically blinding the viewer. But the balance was restored with easy pastel lights yesterday afternoon.

I like sheep butts and I cannot lie.

I am honestly not quite sure what sort of coherent nonsense I have told to you today, or if I was able to convey the craziness that was the unforgettable start of 2017. I am still tired, but happy to ramble on and reminisce on recent days.

During these events snow has finally come to Manshausen. I have been anticipating snowfall since I left my mountains and the loud silence of the coastal snowflakes satisfied that hunger.

"Ah, excuse me, Marina. Can you fix weather? There snow on ground. Where are the studs on the Kayak?"

These hectic days can provide for wonderful stories to tell around the campfire someday with s'mores. The details will eventually fade and I will be left with only the summary of these past few days to recite at social gatherings for the years to come.

The turmoil of the logic behind "smørbrød" will be burned into my brain, as if it were an immortally fresh memory as will the joyous awe of the watching the heavy snowflakes fall to rest on the ground. Never losing the thoughts of the "now", never losing the curiosity of the mundane, as if it were all just one rippling moment that continues forever. I'm not sure what is owed to be taken away from that, but it carries weight to meditate on. 

Boats and floating islands