Always something new

Last weekend we were in the summer cottage in Hollola. We had a visitor from U.S., a professor who is a friend of my husband. The weather was nice, but not as warm as week before.

On Sunday we visited the Hollola church (built 1495—1510) and had a very good quide. I have visited this church several times, but you always get to hear something totally new about the history of the church or of its's statues. One is the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. It was perhaps carved in Stockholm at the end of the 15th century by a carpenter from Lübeck.

The ancestors of my husband have been the vergers of Hollola church between late 17th century until the beginning of the 20th century.

Coffee

I suddenly have a big desire/urge to drink a cup of coffee- which is amazing because it's been over two years since I last drank coffee. I had to stop because my stomach didn't tolerate it anymore.

I can smell coffee, but perhaps it's still the smoky feeling in the air from yesterdays big fire in Helsinki city center. Makasiinit (the old railway storehouses) were on fire.

It's funny to think that about 5 pm I was sitting on the balcony of my working place which is pretty near Makasiinit and I was looking at people sitting on the grass in front of the empty buildings - just like any normal Friday afternoon with warm temperature. Everything seemed so peaceful. I didn't notice any smoke when I left from work (19.20).

I went to have dinner with my friends in a restaurant few kilometres away. A friend of mine, S, comes to the restaurant at 20.15 and tells that she saw a lot of black smoke coming from Makasiinit. It's obvious it's an arson. We are all mad - who are these idiots that are so stupid to make a big fire in the middle of Helsinki. I hope they will face the consequences of their deed in one way or another.

This has made me dislike the rioting activists even more. I have never understand people that destroy other people's or public property.

Other blogs about the fire 5th May:
The voyerism of destruction(Eng)
Makasiinit ilmiliekeissä (Finn)
Makasiinit (Eng)

08.05.2006 : My husband is reading this and says I shouldn't jump into conclusions about the activists. Maybe I shouldn't, but I think there are other, far better ways to protest than throwing stones to windows or destroying property.

Joy of Vappu

The first of May, Vappu, went just fine. We had a marvellous weather here in Helsinki. We had some picnic in Kaivopuisto park with a lot of other people. I had made some pumpkin soup and sandwitches.
Vappu eve we had dinner with some friends in restaurant Elite.

Six questions - kuusi kysymystä

I got this meme or challenge from "Tositarinoita ja haavekuvia" blog. So you should ask me 6 questions. Not seven or five, but six. They can be any questions you like, no matter how weird - just ask them.

HAASTE: Kysy minulta kuusi kysymystä. Ei seitsemän tai viisi, vaan kuusi. Sillä ei ole väliä, kuinka turhia tai omituisia kysymykset ovat - kysy ne joka tapauksessa. Liitä tämä sen jälkeen omaan päiväkirjaasi ja katso, mitä sinulta kysytään.

Jään odottamaan - I shall be waiting....

Cycling season started

My husband and my brother went cycling Easter Sunday. As you can see, still some snow there on the background but most of the roads are already dry.

Thinking of birds

Spring is near and it's the time to think about the birds. I wonder whose nest this is?
Picture taken in Jurva, Finland, 15th April Easter Sunday.

Finding family in USA

I found some relatives in USA last week.

My great aunt asked me to check if I could find her second cousins from the Finnish church books. I did, but many of them had moved to USA in the beginning of last century. Thanks to Ellisisland.org and ancestry.com websites I was able to find some of them. They had moved from Jalasjärvi, Finland to Minnesota Iron Range area.

I found their descendant Rita, who is my father's third cousin. It was so intresting to read from her mails what things are special to our family, like the musical talent. She told me that her grandfather Axel (Akseli) had played the violin.

Mini green house

The spring isn't exactly here yet, but it sure is in my thoughts. The temperature is about minus ten Celsius, but I'm already dreaming of next summer.

I'm about to start the growing season in advance. I bought this mini green house that you can place on the window sill. And of course, the seeds!
I have for example Snapdragon (Leijonankita) and Carpathian Bellflower (Karpaattienkello).

Seeds online in Finland:
Korpikangas
Isoäidin kasvit
Exotic Garden
Hyötykasviyhdistys

Mp3's

I've been having a digital day.
We bought a MP3-player and I had to find the suitable program to convert cd-songs to mp3 files. My husband of course wanted to fill the mp3 player with all of his cd's. I added my Misia cd, he put his Van Morrisson and Bob Dylan.

I phoned to my uncle who's in the hospital. He seems to be a little better.

Dull or not dull?

Winter in Finland is long and dark. The hardest thing to do is to get up in the morning and head for the bus stop.
Here's my bus stop in Eastern Helsinki. Not a place of joy...

Today I'm going to meet "Mr Citron", the CEO of a Finnish company. You can imagine why I call him that.

This evening I'm going to my choir. I have a pillow with me, because I've been experiencing some back problems recently. The pillow helps to sit straight. I should find my deep abdominal muscles and exercise them, says my physiotherapist. But how? It's so hard.