Hurrah for the health food store!

Pic: Heidi & Sooty the cat (At Grandads House during our trip)


Thank you Storsteinnes Health and Play store. Yesterday they received their newest order - probably made to make me shut up but I am so grateful - it is not a lot but it will mean I can get some lovely things without driving an hour following the desire of a bar of dark chocolate! So, what is now in the store? From memory they had dark orange fairtrade chocolate, vegetarian and vegan pates, vegetarian sausages (still in tins as no refrigerator but I am certainly not complaining, I know they are not so healthy but I quite like them), earl grey tea (yes I know tea is vegan anyway but I believe it was ordered for the English folk in the village - all 4 of us), organic salsa (yes I can make my own but 2 children, 2 dogs and freelance jobs do sometimes leave me with time lacking), brown pasta, rice pasta, ecological brown rice, chick peas and I think on the way more lentils, vegetarian gravy powder to compliment the small array that way already there such as linseed (flax) oil, red kidney beans, organic apple puree, soya flakes and the biggest selection of fruit teas you can find in the area! So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Back to us, Matthew has his first day back at work after his illness and he has recovered well. He is tired and run down but as long as he takes it easy he should have a full recovery. Heidi is really beginning to use her languages now, some phrases are in Norwegian, some in English. It is great to see she is having no trouble understanding Norwegian. She is very musical and sings all the time. If she is not singing she is dancing. She is home with me today and plan to make a bit playdo mess when Miller goes for a sleep. Miller is growing so fast, he has been on the verge of walking for a few weeks but still won't let go! Maybe one day soon he will be attacked by a surge of bravery and go for it!

More vegan news and info in the next entry!

Have a productive day x

Home!

So good to be back in Norway!












Miller has recovered well and is back to his cheeky self I am pleased to report. What a trip that was. 4 days in and one by one the family fell ill, we picked up the bug that has spread across the uk causing hospitals to close wards, a huge gap in the workplace etc. All the grandparents had it, all our friends had it, there was simply no escape! We had to wait until we were all clear before flying home so we were stuck in the UK for an extra week, making us miss the film festival here in Tromsø, yoga classes cancelled, Miller was due to start nursery school and we have had to delay that etc etc.. But it is soooo good to be home. The children slept better than they had in three weeks, I feel the difference in the air quality and missed our peaceful little house in our small village nestled in the mountains. I've had enough of smog, advertising hoardings, traffic jams, run down, uncared for places, constant noise and negative attitudes to last me some time!

As for the vegan life, well, I think it is easier here! I never thought I would say that but the options are so limited in the UK, maybe there are more actual foods to buy but you cannot find them. In a supermarket the size of our village here, how do you find the one or two items you are looking for, especially when the staff don't even know what the word vegan means? Even buying a vegan burger proved impossible, you say you are vegan and ask for a burger without cheese so they bring you one with mayo on instead, most sandwiches are pre-made so you cannot get a vegan sandwich made up for you, I didn't find one health shop to buy simple things like tofu, it was just very difficult.

Yet, yesterday I went to the local stores here and came back with everything I wanted. I guess what I am saying is that I have been ungrateful in my previous comments and take them all back! I don't mind driving to the health shop here, at least I am not stuck in traffic looking at boarded up buildings and miserable pedestrians! I also realised I can buy most whole foods here and that is what is important to keeping myself and my family healthy. All I found in supermarkets in the UK was veggie junk food. I tried certain things thinking I was treating myself and I found the majority were quite horrible, I had heard that Sheese was great...um, sorry Sheese but I felt sick after eating it and can't talk about it any more as making me feel ill again at the memory. Maybe it is just that I do not like the taste of anything close to dairy now, who knows.

Being here in Norway makes me feel more alive and what could be better than that.