SPARK - The definate CO2 friendly way to kick off

I would like to present the most ingenious vehicle for winter transport - the SPARK! Literally translated from Norwegian it means KICK. The spark is made of wood with double steel bars to enable rapid movement on icy roads. It is totally carbonfriendly and a sociable way of travelling, as you can accomodate another human being on the convenient seat in front. There are also special babycarriers you can attach to the front as well a baskets for practical transport of goods. To use the SPARK you stand with one foot on one of the steelbars whilst holding on to the wooden handlebars. With the other foot you kick yourself forward so the bars slide on the ice. Ingeneous, cool and sparky! The definate CO2 friendly way to kick off!Unfortunately sparking is a dying activity as it requires icy roads. As the climate is getting warmer there is less snow and ice. Sanding and salting is another great hinderence to a sparky enthusiast!

A celebration og dark and light

Christmas has come and gone. For me it is about making and sharing rather than shopping. Luckily we are far from shoppingcentres on our island! Here, above the Arctic Circle, the sun dissappears at the end of November only to return two months later. Christmas before Christianity was therefore a festival of light! My Christmastraditions are inherited from my grandmother who grew up on a farm. She spent ages preparing meat with spices, baking different kinds of bread and bisquits and my grandfather brew the traditional Christmas beer.There is a whole ritual starting at the end of november that I follow in a moderate way. I love this time of year. It is sensual with the smell of ginger, oranges, burning wax and firtrees - the latter we collected from a neighbours land and on a snowy day with a spark. I will explain that in another chapter!

I had my traditional Christmas workshop in the studio with my artschool where we dipped candles, did felt- and jewlerymaking. It is a tradition I began when I moved here and started the artschool. The kids bring hommade bisquits to share and parents and sisters and brothers are welcome to join.