The Bossy Sister Interview

Julie is someone you want to know. She is someone you want to be friends with. She is always doing something exciting and new: moving to Iceland, taking classes towards a culinary degree, running off to Paris to shop the flea markets, going to auctions, throwing parties. She is a super mom – not afraid of anyone, especially her four kids! And, she knows more about potatoes than anyone.

She is married to the freakishly genius Steve who can teach physics at the Air Force Academy, or be a NATO analyst overseas. They like to canoe, read, camp, raise their smart beautiful children, and Julie acts like she doesn’t spend much money and Steve acts like he doesn’t notice. It works.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Julie is a little bit bossy. That’s why I love her.

The Bossy Sisters interview Julie:

Bossy: Last year you moved to Stavanger, Norway. Most women would freak out about that but you seemed excited to go. What is it like to live in Stavanger?

Julie has a view of the Ocean from her house. This was taken on a 5 minute walk from her home.

Stavanger is incredibly green and beautiful. It has water almost everywhere you turn. Stavanger is on the south-west coast of Norway so there is the ocean and then the fjords and just a little farther inland are lots of freshwater lakes and rivers. They have big modern grocery stores, a quaint downtown area, lots of thrift stores for me to shop, and very friendly people who are happy to speak English to me (unlike France). There is rolling farmland and mountains close by. I love languages so I love the challenge of learning Norwegian.

Carrots, $2 a bunch

My goal right now is to check out at the grocery store without them knowing I only speak English. I can answer all the grocery store checkout questions now like, 'how many bags do you want?' (We have to buy our plastic bags separately), 'do you have a saver card?', 'do you want your receipt?', and then I can say 'thank you, goodbye'. If they ask me anything else I just stare blankly and then stutter 'sorry, do you speak English?' Then they switch on a dime and say 'of course', with no accent at all which makes me feel like a stupid American who doesn't speak anything BUT English!

My idea of “the Military Wife” (taken mostly from made-for-TV-movies) was completely different than the military wives I have known. In what ways is it different to be a Military Wife(compared to someone who isn’t married to a military man)?

I am probably not the typical military wife because Steve is not a soldier but a scientist. It makes it easier because we don't move quite as often. You do have to have a good attitude about moving however and learn to make friends quickly, wherever you are because either they will move or you will. There are different military wife philosophies on moving. Some don't unpack boxes very quickly or decorate their house because 'they are moving again in 2-3 years' and 'I will decorate our retirement home'. My take is that we will be here for 2-3 YEARS! That's a long time in my life and my children's life and I'm going to do everything I can to make our home a home for that time. If people wait 20 years to decorate a house they won't have any idea what to do and all their pictures of their old houses will be stupid to boot! I also love cleaning out everything and de-junking before every move. People who live in one spot for a long time have too much junk that they never even realize they have.

Let’s talk Polish Pottery. How many patterns of Polish Pottery do you have?
3 or 4..maybe 6 or 7 if you count the odds and ends pieces that I don't have many of.

How many pieces of Polish Pottery do you have?
If you count every plate (which I'm not doing), and count what's in my dad's barn in boxes until we move back (also not doing), hundreds I guess.

What is your favorite piece? A chicken pancake cover I'm also drawn to small pitchers. They are great for hot syrup, gravy, and salad dressing. I don't have enough.

Did you buy it all in Poland?
I bought a few pieces in Iceland before my first trip to Poland, and a few at TJ Maxx but most in Poland. It's WAY cheaper!

How many trips have you made to Poland?
4

Will you be buying more?
Of course! I'm trying to plan a trip for in the Spring when I can drive my van! Although the prices get higher every time I go.

If we all come to visit you, will you take us to Poland?
Definitely. Just tell me when and what airport to pick you up at!

Your home is beautifully decorated. You told me that you usually have the household up and running, decorated, with fresh homemade bread within 2 weeks of moving in. How do you do that?

My mind never turns off and I don't sleep much until it's done. I stay up late and get up early. Before we even move in, I have an idea of where I want things to go initially. I really don't feel like we are up and running until I have all the boxes gone. Usually 2 weeks for the big stuff and a month tops for some little tweaks. Then I start painting or making curtains, moving stuff around, buying stuff to fill in the holes, etc. Really, decorating my house is my biggest hobby so I just love doing it!

Please give those of us who are decorating-challenged a few suggestions on things we can do to make our home lovely. What are your tricks?

Julie just painted and finished this shelf.

• Realize that white is not a 'color' in your room and 15 shades of beige is just not exciting!
• Declutter and group your collections in a few spots.
• Look at lots of magazines and copy what you like.
• All shelves should have a plant, books, clock or plate, and maybe some other fun piece.

You were living in Iceland on 9/11. Tell us what that was like. What did you do that day?

We arrived in Iceland on Sept. 1, 2001. In the afternoon on the 11th (5 hours ahead of the east coast) my neighbor came running over and told me what happened. We went to her house to watch the tv footage. We got American TV on the base there. The base went to lock down (nobody could come in or out and the guys had to stay at work). They bussed the kids home from the base school and then went to quarters lock down which meant we couldn't leave our apartments. They closed school for 3 days and Steve was at work for the duration. I spent that time making food and homemade bread for the guys that worked for Steve and watching the tv we borrowed. We were probably in the safest spot on earth but it was still scary. Especially since we were new to the country and overseas life.

2001 Iceland

You are an amazing cook. You have every nifty gadget available. You went to culinary school. Please share a recipe with us that we can make for Thanksgiving/Christmas that will impress the in-laws.

I really just make the same stuff over and over. A definite benefit of moving around, you get to steal the best recipes from your friends :) I love these at Christmas time.

Cookie jar Ginger Snaps

2c. flour
1Tbl. ground ginger
2tsp. baking soda
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. Crisco
1c. sugar
1 egg
1/4c. molasses

Sift together dry ingredients. (I never do that). In a mixer, beat Crisco and sugar for 2 min. add egg. add molasses and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients in two batches. Roll dough into small balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inces apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake @ 350 for 12-15 min. DO NOT OVERBAKE or they won't be chewy and yummy!

You have a beautiful collection of books by Kathleen Norris. What is the name of the last book you loved?
I love to read as an escape. Therefore I don't usually read heavy intellectually challenging books (Unlike Steve who reads math and physics text books for fun). I love the easy read. I love my Kathleen Norris books. They were written in the 1920's and '30s and are the cleanest romances you will every read. And soooooo romantic. I liked the Twilight series. I love the catering-murder mysteries of Diane Mott Davidson as well. I read lots of things my children do. I'm in line (after Steve and the boys) to read Brisingr.

So many women don’t do fun things. They get caught up in cleaning and working. But you always seem to be doing something fun, going to lunch, having a party, inviting people over for dinner, traveling, hanging out with friends. Why do you make that happen in your life?

I am social. I have to be doing things. My house isn't always spotless and my laundry is rarely done and I have a sock basket the size of Texas but I love being with people and my life would be boring without all my friends and family!

You have traveled the world, seen it all, Steve retires in a few years. What are your plans after he retires?
We are planning for Steve to work with my dad and manage my family's farm so my dad can retire. We'll grow wheat, potatoes, and sweet corn and live in Moses Lake, Washington where I grew up. It's a great little town and I love the farmland and surrounding areas. I love the green wheat in the spring and the golden wheat in the fall, I love the smell of freshly dug potatoes, and I love canning sweet corn that came from dad's fields. It will be great. I'm sure I'll get the travel-bug but I can travel from there just as well as from here. It will just take longer!

Julie's Blog, Norge Notes, is private. If you would like to be invited to her blog (where she blogs about life in Norway, decoration, recipes, and the goofy antics of her family) just email us here at, bossysisters at gmail dot com, be sure to include your name. She said if we will vouch for you she will invite you! (We'll vouch for ANYONE who reads our blog!)