First Snow at Buland

Buland is the name of the organic dairy farm where we've been since September and where we plan to be, DV, for the rest of the winter. Wintering in Iceland......hmmm.......no, it's an experience!
We were greeted to this beautiful view, taken appropriately on the first day of winter, October 28th! The photo on top is taken the same day at dusk with our farmhouse and various outbuildings, barns in the background. The kids have all had a 3 week course in milking the cows and learning all that goes into the running of a dairy farm. This is a small farm with more or less 32 cows, nine horses in the stable and another 30 who spend the winter out in the fields! Dominique helped deliver two calves and one of them is named after her! She is milking every morning 5 days a week.... our expert farm hand! She can go into the barn and get the whole milking process going singlehandedly now and the farmers are very happy with her. She is very responsible and is doing a great job and having fun at it!

Eman works on the farmhouse, which dates back to 1937..... old for Iceland for some reason, a few days a week and that is in exchange for rent. We are trying to encourage our hosts to eventually have the vision to rent out the farmhouse to tourists who want to experience a farm holiday in Iceland....after we leave of course. We are located very near some of the most beautiful nature spots in the country, such as Gullfoss, Geysir, Dyraholaey, Allthing, and the biggest glacier in Europe, Vatnajokull, so its really the ideal place to be. The next post will include photos of some of those places.

The Cake, The Icing and a Cherry on Top

The Lord did this AWESOME thing for me this past week, I just have to tell you about it.

Eman had met up with an old school friend of his, Margret, who now runs a choral school and has founded a few choirs as well. He wanted me to play my flute for her, which I did and she loved it! Since I have been playing mostly for myself all these years it never ceases to amaze me when people respond positively to my playing. Well, a few weeks ago she invited me to participate in one of her choir's performances where they were doing some very lively Gospel music. There was piano, bass, sax, bongos and me on flute, not to mention a few very great soloists. I had one solo piece which was that beautiful song "You never walk alone..."

It actually came out beautifully and I didn't mess up in front of the 300 people who packed out the church and even paid money to come and listen!

But listen that was just the cake. Let me tell you about the icing. On top of getting paid for this one minute solo, Margret insisted on taking me out clothes shopping to get something to wear for the performance. So off we go to the fanciest shops in all of Reykjavik and I am starting to feel like I am in some sort of fairy tale.

And the cherry? Since receiving flowers is something that happens only extremely rarely in my life, flowers are the cherry. At the end of the concert, all the soloists went up on stage where we were presented with a bouquet and took a bow. Then we all went off to Hotel Borg for dinner to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Gospel Sisters Choir. I had no idea so this came as a big surprise!

When you walk through the storm hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and turned
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

Amen.


We are surely being watched over and well taken care of by Him.


N.B. Unfortunately I didn't get many photos of the concert........ top photo: me with the Guy who made it all possible. Bottom photo: me and the lovely Icelandic soloist who did a beautiful Icelandic folk song.