Early, early, Tuesday morning I left Sogn. It was such a beautiful morning, that I was glad to be awake. Even though it was only 6:30 am when the ferry left the pier. I was on my way to a meeting for all the pastors (plus some other church workers..) in this area. This year we should meet in Hardanger, in the beautiful little town of Ulvik.
It is nice to have an annual meeting, like this one; having seminars and talking with people I rarely meet. 
There was mostly good things that happened and the weather showed itself form the good side, the sun shone on us more often than not.
But there was the one thing that made me sad. For the first time the Bishop wanted one of the (very few) female pastors to hold the sermon in the main service. It was a real good sermon and I think most of us was glad the Bishop asked her; but it was a sad moment too because a few of the the pastors felt they could not attend a service where a female pastor hold the sermon. Instead they invited to an alternative service; while thanking the Bishop (who didn’t know) for making it happen. I have a lot of respect and admiration for my male colleges, even though some of them have the opinion that I can’t be a pastor because of my sex; but this I can’t respect - it felt like they wanted to hurt and divide. In a way I can’t understand the reason for such behavior, but I’m sure they have an explanation….
The meeting ended on Thursday whit the annual meting of our union. After elected some women into the board of that we said goodbye and thanks by eating lunch. Then I took a little trip with my bike just to loosen up a bit before my long drive back home to my parents.
My hometown lays in the eastern part of the country, in Telemark county to be exact… So I have to pass the mountains to get back home from the western part of Norway. This time I choose Hardangervidda, because it is the shortest trip from where I was. It was a nice trip with a lot of beautiful scenarios.
A little bit cloudy but also some sun. The trip took a little over 5 hours, almost at my parents I made a stop at my brothers house and stayed way to long!!! (My mum waited with some warm food…) I was not back home before after 11 pm. So good to be around family again 
Friday I slept long and visited my grandmother some hours in the afternoon, then I went back up to my brother and cached up on life for the children too.
On Saturday I went to a soccer cup 
to see Sele play for a little while; his mother and sister was there too and later they come for a visit at the farm and Siv did so too (Siv is one of my oldest and dearest friends; we see each other far to rarely!!) And then my visit nearly was over 
Sunday me and mom went to service and later ate dinner out at a diner. She said the chicken was closed 
My father was walking in a museum with the local history society most of the day. Then there only was time for some coffee and some more talk before I left at around 6 pm. On my way back home I stopped again at my brothers house and was there about an hour before heading back home.
It was a long drive!! But finally I could put my head on the pillow at 4 am; before that I had driven real hard to reach the ferry across the fjord, just because they decided to close a tunnel for the night in a rural place I drove by. 
(The photo is not from the tunnel I waited by, but from another along the way - love the little holes in the wall ;)) I waited 45 minutes there before they opened the tunnel for a few minutes around 2 am. If I’m not counting waiting time the trip back took around 8 hours (counting the ferries - two places) and I drove 490 kilometers.
I slept long today, but still can’t feel quite awake…. Tomorrow I have a big arrangement which I try to prepare for, but I’m not sure if I’m actually able to do it right now
(Go to my photoblog for more photos)