Lost and Found

One year ago today my son found me 35 years after I had given him up for adoption. Those of you that have been following my blog this past year probably know the story, but for those of you that do not, I am re-posting some of those blogs today. Here is what happened and how it has changed my life forever.

The three of us, lost and then found

May happens to be an amazing month for me. Do you have a certain month where for some unexplained reason, life grabs you and makes you pay attention? May is that month for me. Maybe my mother, who was born in May, genetically imprinted this month for future events into my DNA. I married my husband in May, my youngest son was born in May, and two children who were lost to me found me once again, in the month of May. Two years ago on May 12th my daughter, who I lost through a messy divorce years ago, found me on Facebook. Last year on May 10th my firstborn son found me as well. 

You can not possibly imagine the effect this has had on my life and the life of my family. In one year, I gained two more children, two grandchildren, a son in law and various new friends including the estranged father of my first son. My husband became a step-father, my mother a great grandmother, and all my children gained more siblings. My son who lost both his adoptive parents and had no siblings, suddenly had a huge family with grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins. I often think how overwhelming this must be for him, and how many more surprises are still in store for all of us.


My youngest daughter traveled to the states last summer to meet both her sister and older brother for the first time. I traveled there soon after and got to spend time with the both of them, I also got to meet my grandchildren for the first time. There have been a lot of first times for everyone and this summer there will be even more. My son is coming to visit us and finally meet more members of his family.


One year ago I got out of bed and started the day with ordinary expectations, when I went to bed that night I realized that my expectations would never be ordinary again. How could they be? In one year I had given birth to two grown children, and the funny thing is ... 
No matter how grown up they may be, 
they still feel like--- my babies to me. 

All of us can get lost, but thankfully we can also be found.



If you are interested in reading more of this story, check : LOST AND FOUND

Zombie Mom

 Crawling through the streets of Denver with 10,000 other zombies and spectators was something that definitely would make your hair crawl as well. Last October while visiting my son in Denver I got the chance to play Zombie Mom. Mildly claustrophobic and not a fan of huge crowds, I was rather proud of myself for making this daring adventure into the world of the undead. As promised here are some pictures:

 Zombie Mom with Zombie Girlfriend

 Brave son with Zombie Mom and Zombie Girlfriend

If you are like me, you enjoy a good horror story. There are two of them running as a series on TV now. One of them is The Walking Dead and the other is American Horror Story. A miniseries based on Stephen Kings book, Bag of Bones has just been released and I am looking forward to seeing that. So what is it that makes us so susceptible to a good scare? While in Denver I also got to go on a ghost tour at The Stanley Hotel which is the most haunted hotel in America. This is the hotel that Stephen King based his book The Shining on. Did we see a ghost? To be honest, I am not really sure but we did witness many strange things. You can read about that here. Anyways, back to Zombies.

Being a Zombie Mom is easy. If you have ever felt like your children don’t listen to you, that they ignore what you say, avoid being seen with you, insult you, belittle you and treat you like the plague then you know what it is like to be a Zombie Mom. Believe me, it is much more fun to put on the makeup and join a crowd of other Zombies. Because when you are “undead” who really cares what others say or do. All a zombie real cares about is food and I got my share.

 

Zombie Mom takes a taste

Rocky Day

 

Rocky… I thought about it all day although no one I was with realized how suiting I thought that name was for my last day in Colorado. The Rocky Mountains National Park, beautiful and breathtaking, yes I was there and saw it. Unfortunately my heart was not there. My heart was turning into stone and breaking into a thousand pieces that slowly fell to the bottom of my stomach. Clunk, clunk, clunk, only I could hear it. Still I forced a smile now and then, got out of the car to walk through cold snow and wind, and got my picture taken together with my son and daughter.

I would have to say good-bye to them soon, so soon after just saying hello. If you have read my blog then you will know that I traveled to the states to meet them for the first time in many years. So I spent my last day with them in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I am home again in Norway now. I am home and looking at those pictures and I am thinking of the saying, “Home is where the heart is.” Mine still seems to be falling to the bottom of my stomach in a thousand pieces. Clunk, clunk, clunk, only I can hear it.

Boo Me...

 Ghosts appear in unusual places and seem to haunt some more than others. Have you ever seen one? Do you want to? I am fascinated with ghosts, and I do not mean my own personal ghosts from my past, those I could do without for a while. Nothing really scares me anymore. Sure there are things that I find creepy, like dolls and clowns, but the search for something supernatural and terrifying has eluded me. Not for the lack of trying because I have done my fair share of ghost tours and cemeteries at midnight. I have read all the horror books and seen the films and yet I remain disappointed. My search for something extraordinary, unbelievable and terrifying at the same time continues.

Stanley Hotel

Recently I traveled to The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado with my daughter, son and his girlfriend. You might recognize the place from the movie “The Shining” and you can read about the hotel here. The TV show “Ghost Adventures” was filming while we were  there so no one paid much attention as we roamed the forbidden halls with our video camera. We went on a ghost tour later but it was not anywhere near as fun as our own exploring. Our telephones kept turning off, pictures would not focus and the shutter on the video camera would not open. We saw and heard things that could not be explained and I felt physically ill on several of the floors. Expectation and imagination you say? Maybe that is so, and it is what I tell myself, but I will never really know. Creepy…? Yes, but I am I still looking to be scared, so if you have a good story, Boo me.

 My son and I exploring the halls

 My daughter and son outside the famous room 217

The three of us on our ghost hunt

Believe it or not...these pictures were very difficult to download! You have a ghost story? Please share!

Talking bout my Girl…My Girl!

 Leaving sunny Colorado I headed for the plains of Minnesota to spend some time with my daughter who I had not seen for over 20 odd years. I also got to meet my two grandsons for the first time. Do you think I was excited and nervous? You can guess the answer to that. 

My daughter and I

I made it in time for her 31^st birthday and let me tell you, that first hug was one of the best hugs of my life. The month of October was filled with fantastic hugs. First my son, then my daughter and my grandchildren, you cannot put words on this page that would let you know how I felt. My beautiful daughter and her children slipped into my arms as if they always belonged there. I still feel the warmth of them now and will continue to, until I see them again.

Garden of the Gods

 If someone were to ask me what my favorite day in Denver was it would have to be my day walking in the Garden of the Gods.  Giant red rocks shadowed the ground below them and reached high into a crystal blue sky. To be able to share such beauty in the footsteps of millions that have walked before me was an overwhelming experience that I was lucky enough to share with my son. It is not surprising that the gods decided to plant a garden in this beautiful country. There was more God here on this Sunday than in any church and clearly my prayers were just a whisper in the wind among so many others. Faced with such enormous beauty standing still in time, my only thought was how I could press this time and put it in a bottle so that I could keep it with me forever.

Have you been somewhere that was so powerful in its beauty that it will forever be a part of you?

Kissed by a Wolf

  It is early in the morning and I am awakened by a big wet nose in my face. My new best friend, or maybe I should call him my “Grand-dog/wolf” loves to wake up grandma with a big kiss. Part timber wolf, arctic wolf and malamute, Diablo is also very much human. His favorite thing in the world besides Daddy is water and whenever his water dish is near the sink he starts to hop up in the air like a giant rabbit. Unfortunately at the mature age of 11, his bladder does not hold the water very long so he needs to take a lot of trips outside. When his leash is presented he hops in the air, all excited to go out. Every morning the two of us go for a walk, which is a bit challenging because he REALLY PULLS, especially if we run into another dog, cat or squirrel. Diablo, also called affectionately “Ruppy” loves to talk and voices his opinions all the time. I never thought that I would fall in love with a wolf and look forward to his kisses.

Diablo may look scary but he is just a big baby

This week-end starts out with the movie Paranormal Activity 3 and tomorrow is the “I Heart Brains” Denver Zombie Crawl. Since I can’t get anyone else to dress up with me, it looks like I will just be a spectator this time.... maybe, still undecided. Well It should be a lot of fun anyways, and I promise to take a lot of pictures. So what are you doing this week-end? Hope you have fun doing whatever it is.

My Memory Box

Some of the greatest moments in life are free. I try to keep these in my memory box, stored away safely behind my mind’s eye where I can take them out whenever I need too.  Overwhelming beauty, extreme peace, the abundance of joy and the sensations of love, these are the memories in a moment that are meant to be treasured. Here are a few that I collected these past few days.

 My son and I looking over South Park Valley

Norway does have its mountains, but Colorado has mountains just as beautiful.

Fairplay, Co.

 Outside of Breckenridge, Co

Frisco, Co.

 Breckenridge, Co.

 My memory box will never be too full and this week I will continue filling it. Hope you are filling yours as well.

Pay it forward and the Danish Frog Brothers

In today’s post I have three blogs that I want to mention as part of Matthew MacNish at the blog, The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment and, Alex J. Cavanaugh blog fest, Pay it Forward. These are blogs that I really enjoy reading. Like favorite jewelry I take them out of my box and look at them whenever I can.

The crazy life of a writing mom

The hilarious “misadventures of a writing mom” is the place you need to go for a good laugh. She has made me laugh so hard that my neighbors have come knocking on my door.

In Time

“Creativity is a terrible thing to waste.” Michael Di Gesu has more than his fair share of creativity. Writing, art and design are his passions and he shares them with such beauty that he makes me want to crawl up inside his words.

Melissas Imaginarium  

If you want to know about the movies and you have a good sense of humor take a mind trip to this blog. Melissa has a point of view that is very entertaining.

CrazyWorld  
What can I say; I love crazy and look for it where ever I can. Funny and charming, this accident prone crazy lady shares her craziness in ways that will keep you laughing for days.

Frederik and Henrik reunited

 Frogging out on my Chili

Frederik and Henrik have been hoping around from blog to blog. My favorite brother frogs, who you can read about here, hope you get a chance to check out all of these blogs. I have not seen so much of my Danish Frog friends since Frederik and I arrived in Denver. They have been busy doing their own thing and staying out of trouble for the most part, however, yesterday they got into my pot of chili. Frogs and chili are not a good combination. Both of my friends are feeling a bit under the weather today so I don’t think they will be up for going to the movies. Tonight I am going to see “The Thing” with my son and his girlfriend. I loved John Carpenters original, so it should be interesting to see this prequel. Otherwise this week-end we are taking a trip to South park and I am meeting my sons father who I have not seen for 35 years. What are you doing this week-end? Whatever it is, I hope you have a great week-end!

Stuff Yourself Brazilian Style

If you have a big appetite you still need to wear loose clothes if you plan on eating at Texas de Brazil. By the time you cannot squeeze any more food into that storage place you call your stomach you will want to cry. 

Yesterday I went out for dinner with my son and his girlfriend to celebrate his birthday at this amazing place, and I experienced a meat orgy like none other. The Brazilian clad waiters kept coming with tasty spits of assorted grilled meats that they eloquently carved onto our plates throughout the entire dining experience. It is up to the diner to say stop and go with small table cards that are red on one side and green on the other. You can drive your plate on a meat highway all night long if you so choose. The salad bar was amazing, the atmosphere incredible and the service outstanding. A word of advice, do not eat much before going there.

 After dinner, stuffed but still smiling

We are a lot alike, my son and I. That is what his girlfriend says, but I really don't need her to tell me that. We share a love for good food, movies, books, music and we both have that goofy and some times very "Blond" sense of humor. We both love to cook, he made me an incredible Pot Roast the other day and today it is my turn in the kitchen. I am off to explore his cupboards and experiment with a foreign stove to see if I can whip up some home made "Texas" style chili. This should be interesting.

Have a great day everyone, and come back soon to see how the chili turned out.

Our First Birthday

It may have taken 35 years but I finally get to celebrate my son’s birthday with him. October is a big birthday month. My birthday was the 9^th, my son the “Musicians birthday” is today, and my daughter the “Artists” birthday is on the 27^th. Being able to finally be together with them on their birthdays is a wonderful and long awaited experience that I am looking forward to.

 Our first meeting at the airport

My son has worked hard to get to where he is today. Being left with no choice but to give him up for adoption, he was raised in Mpls. by two loving parents, both of which died while my son was still quite young. His grandparents also passed away, leaving him on his own. 

 Hanging out with his friends and music

After finishing high school and holding down several different kinds of jobs he eventually turned one of his hobbies into a career. My son is a geek and works as an onsite computer technician for Best Buys “Geek Squad.” Today he is living in Denver, sharing his apartment with a wolf and he has a wonderful girlfriend.

  

Dressed for work

 

Talented, determined, intelligent, funny, loyal, stubborn, proud, attractive and trustworthy. Those are some of his qualities. I am proud to be his mother and I love him more every day. We are going out for dinner with his girlfriend to celebrate his birthday and I will be posting pictures of that and our other adventures soon.

So---Happy Birthday Sweetheart, I am so happy to be spending it with you!

Across the Atlantic

As Frederick the frog and I flew across the Atlantic and past several time zones, we watched the sun and waited for darkness to fall. Who knew that a day could be so long and the Atlantic ocean so large? Norway turned into Amsterdam, then Atlanta and finally after 18 hours Denver. It was almost midnight and I felt like Cinderella going to the ball, almost afraid that at the stroke of 12 my fairytale would disappear. 

Jet-lag followed me off the plane and into the airport terminal where my son and his girlfriend were waiting for me. Finally I was going to meet my son, and when I put my arms around him I knew that a part of me that was lost had come home. After almost 35 years the image of a small baby boy behind a glass window was replaced with the warm smile of a man excited to meet his mother. There are no words that could possibly describe the emotions that filled that first embrace.

It has only been a few days since I arrived in Denver. I am still adjusting to the time difference and although I feel tired all the time, sleep does not come easy. Sleeping seems like such a waste of time. Denver is a beautiful place. The weather is fantastic, the mountains majestic but for the time being I cannot seem to concentrate on any of that. I am too busy with the most important thing Denver has to offer and that is getting to know my son. 

Meet Herr. Frederik the Frog of Denmark

Frk. Reisende Duck also better known as Anne will not be crossing the Atlantic with me this time. She has come down with a bad case of bird flu and is unable to travel. I was rather upset that Anne would not be joining me on this adventure but I happen to have convinced a good friend of mine to make this trip with me. He always wanted to come along but is terrified of flying. More of a water creature by nature let me introduce to you, Herr. Frederik the Frog of Denmark. 

Herr.Frederik the Frog of Denmark

A few years ago while I was working on the ferry boat to Denmark I met Frederik and his twin brother Henrik hiding in a storage closet on-board the boat. They were stowaway frogs, too poor to pay for passage to Norway. They told me about their hard life in Denmark and how they had lost their whole family to a group of ozone corrupted pollutant frogs. These frogs travel in large groups around Denmark devouring all healthy frogs that they come across. Hearing about the abundance of water and fresh air in Norway they decided to make a hop for it and smuggled themselves on-board the first vessel going there. I felt sorry for these sad little frogs and hid them in my cabin until we arrived in Norway. They came home with me and have been living happily together until last May.

When I found out that I had a son that was living in Colorado, Henrik got all excited and begged me to send him to America. So after a few sad good-byes, I sent him off in a large white envelope to stay with my son. Frederik who was too terrified of flying decided to stay behind. He has been missing his brother very much so it wasn’t too hard to convince him to travel with me in my hand luggage. Tomorrow the two of us are going on a great adventure to meet my son in Colorado and to reunite Frederik with his brother. We will also be taking a trip to Minnesota to visit my daughter and her family. Frederik is excited about seeing his brother again, meeting my son and daughter, going on his first Zombie crawl and Halloween party and so much more. He will be making appearances on my blog from time to time this month to tell you all about his adventures, so don’t forget to come back again soon.

Happy hopping everyone, and see you soon on the other side.

Summers End

October has always been one of my favorite months. I love the smell of it, the colors that span the horizon and the feel of the crisp air against my cheek. The last traces of summer scatter in the wind and as I walk on a colored path of leaves towards winter, summer will end, but I will carry this one with me always.

Summers End

The flavor of summer has changed.

The clouds rolled in to let me know

that soon the ground will be covered in snow.

The trees sigh, the flowers bow,

the harvest waits the farmers plow.

It is time for the night to sing its song

and bend the days to sing along.

While we watch this summers end

and taste the autumn on its breath,

we gather its bounty in our arms

and lay the ground so soon to rest.

----Siv Maria

This Saturday I will be trading in the beauty of a Norwegian October for one in Denver Colorado and Mpls., Minnesota. If any of my blogging friends are in this area I would love to meet you. Just send me an e-mail and let me know. Next time you hear from me I will be sitting someplace far away, looking out another window and enjoying the company of my son.

Wish me luck on my journey because I seriously do not enjoy long plane trips or airports.

Digesting Family

There are 1,019 miles between Denver and Seattle. Those miles were crossed within seconds, as I sat and watched thousands of miles away in a little town in Norway. My son met one of his aunts and his cousins for the first time, all of this courtesy of Skype Conference Calls. The call was a bit unstable but the smiles were easy to see.

Old picture of me and my sister with her husband before they got married.

If you have been following my blog then you know how my son who I gave up for adoption found me not long ago. Since then he has been discovering a whole new family from both my side and his father’s side. He went from being an only child whose adoptive parents and grandparents died, to a person with a large family. It is hard to imagine isn’t it?

Before he can fully digest one family member another one is tossed onto his plate. I don’t think he was totally prepared for such a large amount, but he is handling it with a viking appetite. It can’t be easy to have your whole world turned upside down or have a mother who keeps putting more food on the plate while saying, “Eat it up.” I guess that I am lucky he has a big appetite, but I also know when it is time to let the stew simmer for a while.

So far he has met in person two sisters, two nephews and a father. In little over a month he will be meeting me at the airport. In addition to that he has been on Skype with one brother, one step dad, one aunt and her husband, and 2 cousins. There are many more to meet and I hope with all my heart that he digests us well.

The Other Side of the Rainbow

The Traveler has returned from her American adventures. Did she fall in love with the American way of life? Yes I suppose she did, but unlike Dorothy she didn’t have to click her heals together three times in order to get home. The Traveler met her sister, her brother and two small nephews for the first time in a wonderful place called Oz. She fell in love with the beauty of the place and the people in it, but in the end it was good to come home. Looking for greener grass on the other side, I believe she learned that in truth, “There is no place like home.”

 The Traveler and her best friend, a happy reunion

 

Let the Party Begin

Last week-end in Denver for the Traveler. Some sad good-byes are bound to be said at the airport as she heads back to Minnesota today, before coming home to Norway again. The good news is that they have started a bond that will last the rest of their lives.

Brother and Sister at the Renaissance Festival

King and Queen for a day

Renaissance Fair is incomplete without some big drumsticks

 Time for some music!

To round things off, a heavy medal festival in 100 degrees Fahrenheit

Let the party begin!

This will be my last post on the Traveler for awhile. I hope you have enjoyed sharing her journey as she has met her sister and brother for the first time. 

Have a wonderful day everyone and I will see you again soon.

High Altitudes

The Traveler and the Musician have been busy getting to know each other and having fun while doing in. They have only a couple of days left before the Traveler heads back to her sister in Minnesota, and then returns home to Norway. Take a peak at how similar these two look. Facebook has a hard time tagging either one of them because it can not decide which one it is tagging! Here are some pictures:

Red Rock, Colorado

 Courthouse, Central City "The richest square mile on earth"

Little air but lots of love

Have a fantastic week-end everyone! Hopefully with plenty of air and lots of love.

While we wait

The Actor waits patiently for the show to begin. He stands on the sidelines for now, just like I do.  The Traveler has gone to the states to meet her brother and sister for the first time. This is the story of 4 children, 3 different fathers, and my nontraditional family. Not many people get a second chance to start a family over again so this time I hope I get it right. 

So while I am waiting to hear more about the Traveler in Denver, I thought I would share something with you about one of the other spectators in this story. My son the Actor is very involved in the theater. Not only does he act, but he is a talented sound and light technician.

 The Traveler and The Actor together just a few days before her journey begins.

When I first told my son, (the Actor) that my child who I had given up for adoption had contacted me he said. " God Mom! I was just getting used to having another sister, and now I have to get used to a older brother as well?"

It did take some time for him to get used to, but once the two of them started talking they quickly developed a friendship. It would have surprised me otherwise because these two are so alike! They share the same passion for music, movies and computers. It still amazes me how similar all my children are. Only two of them grew up together, yet put them all together you have a complete puzzle. One day I hope to see all my children together in the same room. For now, I just wait. The Actor and I stand together backstage waiting to hear, " Enter, stage right....Action!"

Important information for you (this is NOT a solicitation)

This is how the Musician and I started our latest journey together:

Important information for you (this is NOT a solicitation)

May 10, 2011

Hello Siv Ottem;

I hope you do not mind this email but I located your email addresses via Facebook. I work at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and am trying to reach you with some important confidential information. The information dates back to 1976. Would it be possible for you to email me back so that I know that you are in receipt of this email.

Due to the confidentiality I am hesitant to write very much here, but, let me know you received this and we can go from there. My phone number in Minneapolis at LSS is xxxxxxxxxxxx

Thank you so much and I hope that we can be in touch soon!

Sincerely,

xxxxxxxxxxxx

PS I believe I have reached the right person but would just need to confirm some information, before presenting the confidential information that I have. Thank you very much!

The Musician traveled to Minnesota last Friday to meet his sisters for the first time. Minnesota was a familiar place since he had grown up there, but having sisters was unknown territory. Growing up without siblings he had always wondered what it would be like. “What would they look like, would they look like me--Would they like the same things I do?” These and about 100 other questions had been running through his head for years. Through Skype they have been getting to know each other, the questions answered, now they were about to come face to face. On the plane from Denver to Minnesota his anticipation and nerves were made easier by the steady hand of his girlfriend. What had taken his lifetime to learn was standing in front of him, but not for long. He learned in less than a second where he belonged, and that was in his sisters arms.

Outside the Mpls. Airport-The Artist, The Musician and The Traveler

Uncle to these two elves at Como Zoo

The Artist with her family, The Traveler and Musician with their family too.

So whats next? After a long week-end with lots of exploring, reunions with friends, shopping at the Mall of America and grilling it is time to head home to Denver. This time the Musicians carry-on is a bit heavier. His sister, the Traveler is going  home with him. The journey continues.

"Hi Mom, is it weird seeing me on Skype over here?"

What about me? Well I booked my ticket to the States for October 8th. We all celebrate our birthdays that month and it should be one fantastic Birthday marathon.