Back to normal.

Today is a normal autumn day in our part of the world. It's windy and it's raining and the weather forecast is telling us it will continue for at least one week.

Still I had to go outside and spend three hours in this weather. My wife and daughter are making Christmas decorations which they will sell on the local Christmas market starting next weekend. For their production they need different materials and it's my job collecting them.

During the work I made some new friends:

Getting better.

The last two weeks I've been trying to fight a cold. My joints has been hurting, my nose has been running and it's been difficult to sleep.
Yesterday I put on warm clothes and had my morning coffee at the terrace watching the sunrise telling myself it's time to get better. At least I felt better watching a beautiful sunrise and the beginning of yet another beautiful autumn day being born.

This autumn has been exceptional with mostly sunny days and almost no wind. It's not what we are used to at the western parts of Norway but I will not mind it becoming the new normal.
I'm still fighting the cold but today I'm telling myself it's the first day of getting better. Posting on my blog might be a sign of that.

Winter is coming.

Getting into the car this morning gave me proof that the winter is on its way. After a quite cold night the windows was decorated with beautiful ice roses.

I spend a few minutes enjoying the sight as the car was warming up and the roses started melting.

Cycling.

I just came back from a short trip on my bicycle. Half way I stopped to take a few pictures to show you some of the landscape I rode through.

Living in the area called the Homeland of the Viking Kings it wasn't a surprise meeting this guy.  

Mental illness, professional and private.

During my professional life I've been working at different kinds of psychiatric units and community based halfway houses. I've also experienced mental illness in my family through my life.
Still I can't stop wondering how different the experiences are between the two (professional and private life).
As years go by I experience that more and more people with mental disorders are reporting to have a good quality of life. Still I get concerned and worried when members of my family are struggling with mental illness. I even try to convince them what they are going through are normal struggles in life and not psychiatry when I should know better.
One of the important factors to experience a good life, in general, but especially for people experiencing mental illness is the feeling of being in control. When a member of my family is telling me about his or hers mental illness and I tell them it's something else I deprive them from being in control.
I should have known better and will try to change starting today. I will make an effort being more supportive to the members of my family struggling with mental illness.

Yesterdays morning walk.

When I have the opportunity I will go for a morning walk.  The walk gives me the opportunity to clear my head before starting the day at work. Some mornings the walk is short others I do have time for a longer walk. Out walking I let the world around me inspire and give me new energy.

Walking in a scenery like this gives me inspiration and energy.

I'm lucky living in  a area with beautiful and dramatic nature. We have mountains, forests and the sea close to us. I'm happy to live in this Wonderful World.

Sunset.

Friday, when I was driving home, I saw this beautiful sunset.

The traffic in front of me stood still and I was able to take this picture. When I kept on driving I realized that a car had hit a wall next to the road was causing the stop in the traffic. I found out later that the driver of the car wasn't injured but I can't stop wondering if the beautiful sunset distracted him. But these days it's probably a more plausible explanation that he was distracted by his phone.