Home sweet home!

Hello friends,

Hope you all are doing fine!

Back in my home and the normal daily life.  It is very nice to be home and it really helps getting rid off the Jet lag. It took me about a week. But the best thing is to see family and friends and our 2 cats again! We have two very handsome and lovely cats, that makes life very amusing! 

The spring has actually arrived in the southern part of Scandinavia and some trees and flowers are even blooming! Beautiful, but scary too. It feels so early. Too early! In the mountains up at our cottage, there is so much wind and snow these days that the only way to get out in the morning is through a window. The door is locked by snow! :-)  Can't wait to get up there! But that has to wait. 

Have a wonderful day everybody! 

;-) S 

On my way home

Hello dear friends,

I'm now on my way home....It will be a long trip this time. We all arrived Amsterdam here at 5 am this morning, but my flight has been cancelled ( after waiting a while),  so here I sit and have to wait till 3.10 pm. 

We had a great last concert and the meet and greet afterwards was also very nice. The picture is from back stage right before the last concert in Keswick Thatre. Fredrik, backline, and I found some hats and became a bit strange...

I have now said goodbye to my family on the road and I'm now soon with my family back home. I  miss them very much when I travel.  A saying we have in Norway: Borte bra , men hjemme best. I guess that will be something like : Nice to be away, but the best is still home. I know there is an English saying for that as well, but too jet-lag to think of that now. 

Have wonderful day! ;-) Sissel

Red Bank

Hello friends,

just done with the concert here in Red Bank, Count Basie Theatre. A great evening! That theatre will look great after this summers renovation! It will look fantastic! Hope to come back one day! It is so wonderful that there is people out there that have the guts and knowledge of how to take care of these historical and beautiful buildings. It is so important to take care of and have respect for our history.

Now we sit here and relax and the pizzas are ordered. I'll send you a picture of my beloved sound designer Asle, that has traveled with me for over 14 years. He is as nice as he looks! 

Have a good night! ;-) S

Bustrip to Red Banks

Hello friends!

Well, we have now made it to Red Banks after our bus trip from Hartford took some time after a forced stop right at the New Jersey turnpike. Our bus made a very persistent high sound (alarm) that something needed to be changed. So we waited a while for the 'thing' , and wished that the turnpikes had a kind of catering/ coffee/ donut/sandwich café attached to it, for 'stranded' busses like ours. It was a nice ride though. We watched Alison Kreuss and Union Station  live from a concert on dvd. Wow, that was so good! Brilliant voices and musicians. So fun to watch and listen to, and there is always something to learn! Some of it made me speechless.

Now we are happily at the hotel and I am so relieved that we have no concert tonight. That would have been a bit tight once again! Have a wonderful evening all of you! We will find something to eat now.

;-) S

Valentines Day

Hello again friends!

Happy Valentines Day! 

On this Day of Hearts the sun is shining into my room and it is so good to think about all the wonderful moments that I have been given on this Tour. And there is more to come! I know!

Had  a really nice time last night here in Hartford and  we have a new concert here tonight. :-)

I have tried to put some photo up on this blog, but the internet is a bit slow here at the hotel so I have to wait till we get to another place.

I hope that you have someone to send some heartfelt and good thoughts to today. I'll send to my dear family and friends back home.

Have a wonderful Valentines Day!

;-)Sissel

By the way, one of my favorite songs is actually 'My funny Valentine'. In 2 versions: One with the jazz singer Radka Toneff , and the other one with Chet Baker . Enjoy!

Day off

Hello my dear friends,

We had a good relaxing day in Boston yesterday. Day off means laundry and catching up on the lack of sleep and doing nothing. Well, a visit to the gym is good too. .  ;-) 

We are so lucky to have one more day off, traveling to Hartford. That is only like a few chapters of a book to read, and then we are there! Looking forward to the 2 concerts in Hartford. 

I am so glad that you who have been to my concerts mention my musicians. They are really good! And so wonderful to work with. We are a team, or should I say, like a family on the road. 

;-) Sissel

Travel

Hello again my dear friends,

the last days have just been so busy. A lot of traveling and the expression 'early birds' also fits in on our group. Well the last one maybe a bit forced, though... . The concerts in Minneapolis , Salt Lake City and here in Boston have been great and uplifting. We have had a wonderful time. It was wonderful to see my friends in Salt Lake again. I must say that our traveling schedule has been some challenging. Yesterday our trip to Boston took us 11 hours , and just made it to the concert. We landed about 1 h before we were supposed to start the concert with all our gear!  That could never had gone so smoothly if it hadn't been for my great team! We all wanted to make it! So only 15 min delay!  The photos  that you see from 'on the road' ,is taken at 4 am (me and the Big Hummer in Salt Lake City) and 7 am (checking in Minneapolis)). Just imagine, it is not fun to stand in the line behind us when checking in 25 pieces of luggage and most of them are overweight.

It takes about an hour..... 

But it comes good music out from it!  :-) 

I have read the blogs that you have written to me, and I must say that it is so nice to hear from you all! Christine, I do remember the yellow teddy bear from Rebecca, I still have it! And congratulations on your Birthday Rebecca! See you in Hartford!   And all of you others who have been to my concerts and are planning to come one day. Thank you so much! 

;-) S

Minneapolis

Hello again,

so nice to hear from you! Yes, we did have a great time in Chicago last evening! It was a wonderful start of the tour. I'm now at my hotel room here in Minneapolis.Trying to relax and get rid of the jet-lag and writing to you, as you can see from the picture. I have been told it is a great Scandinavian community here so maybe there will be some at the concert? Soon we will head off for rehearsal/ sound check and then.....a new concert! :-) ! I really love this concert and can't wait to do it one more time! Many times! We have so much fun together on stage. I also feel so lucky to have so gifted and wonderful musicians with me on stage! I'll try to get a picture from stage next time I write to you. Untill then and as always, have a wonderful life!  ;-) Sissel 

Chicago

Hello again friends!

Landed well in Chicago after a very, very early wake up in Oslo and long travel! Oslo feels like a long time ago! Here it is .... winter!:o) So nice! Tonight there is time for rest , preparation  and getting used to the new time zone. Zzzzzz...zee you!

;-) S

Rehearsal

Hello dear friends.

Today is our last day of rehearsal here in Oslo before we take off for the USA. It is really going well, and we are all very excited to share our music with you. The songs that I have picked out make me feel that I'm bringing with me a bit of Norway and the beautiful winter we have here right now. 

Looking forward to seeing you! And hope you will enjoy my Northern Lights!

;-)   S

Welcome Friends !

I'm starting this blog now, as I embark on my 2 week USA tour, so that I can share my impressions and thoughts with you throughtout my trip - from the 7th - 17th of February. Blogging is totally new for me - this ought to be a lot of fun!

I look forward to seeing you at my concerts in Chicago, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Boston, Hartford, Red Bank, NJ and Glenside, PA. But, for those of you that can't make it there this time ... well, you can check-in here to read how it went.