I will not begin at the beginning in Memphis...but will jump to the waiting room of the O'Hare in Chicago ... where I met two delightful ladies from South Dakota, who will be so important to my having such a good time.
I felt justified in people watching, since there was a six hour wait for the plane to London.
The two most interesting people were two women traveling together.
The younger one in her mid fifties had on a sport jacket with SOUTH DAKOTA on the back.
She seemed to be in a losing argument with someone on the phone.
"Nicklas, please don't be upset with us...we will be in Stavanger soon but want to stop in Oslo first, but..but...but"...
The older lady (mid sixties...but still younger than me) reached for the phone and said, "Asta, dear, please hand me the phone!"
...."Nicklas, this is your Aunt Eve speaking; this is the way it is going to be. We will spend a couple of days in Oslo and then will come to be with you in Stavanger. I have spoken. We love you!
GOODBYE."
Eve: fac simile 65 retired teacher
Then not looking at all embarrassed that I was staring at them, they introduced themselves and shared the sandwiches they had brought from home in South Dakota. I gradually learned that Nicklas' parents were killed in an auto crash; his mother was the sister of Asta and Eve.
So Nicklas made his home with Eve as he grew up; .then he went away to college to study engineering..
Now he has a very well paying job with an oil company in
Stavanger, Norway.
Eve and Asta were hurt that he wouldn't settle down in S.
Dakota.
He would not move back home; he loved his job in
Norway and had been begging them for several years to
spend a year with him.
Now that Eve had retired they had no excuse!!
Keep in mind that we talked for six hours at O'Hare...so I
won't spend 6 hours telling you what we said; but here is
little about them. Although 100% American, they are of
Norwegian descent.
Their grandparents (maternal and paternal) came to
South Dakota from
Norway to make a home in the US.
Eve just retired from teaching school. Asta is a
well-to-do widow who is very involved in volunteer work
with kids. We talked until our jaws ached then....
We slept until the plane arrived in London..
then only two more hours to Oslo!!
The nephew, Nicklas, had already reserved a suite in the
Grand Hotel for his aunts.
Because we clicked so well, they asked, then begged, then insisted, then demanded I share a suite with them in Oslo; since I was going there too. I gleefully agreed, because I was feeling lonely already.
Nicklas was paying ALL their expenses, & little did they know that MONOPOLY MONEY was paying all of mine. We would stay at the best hotel, eat the best food...have a ball!!
This has been a long day...will tell you about being in Oslo tomorrow. This trip is going to be great; I am so lucky to have these wonderful ladies as companions.
....goodnight from Oslo...love, annie
...this has been revised from the original which was too long and rambling..You say this is still too long and rambling.????.ab
