When I was a kid, the cousins and aunts and uncles and of course the grandparents would get together at Thanksgiving and Christmas and sometimes on Mother’s day and Easter. I think we all have special memories from those times at Gramma’s house. We would always eat well, create music and have old-fashioned quality time […]
Category: Celebrations
It was a party
We had a houseful. Twenty little ones, eight big ones, fireworks, one birthday party and the New Year at midnight. If new year’s eve foretold the future, 2014 might be a year on the fast track. It looked like everyone had a good time. The kids all found friends and at times, nearly everyone went […]
The joy of Christmas
Not long before Christmas we had two storms and rain. The landscape was not white like it often is during this time of year. When we went on a little walk down to the beach, many of the large trees that sway in the wind during our summer excursions had fallen. This was the landscape […]
Six nights until Christmas Eve
There is not too many days left in the countdown. The mornings are dark and I find that an extra hour of sleep would feel nice but the children get up easily when they know that it is their turn to peek into the advent calendar. Of course the older children do not believe in […]
After dinner Pavlovas
Today has been a baking day since the rainy, wet weather did not entice me to go outside. Our road and driveway had turned into a literal skating rink and the kids did go boot-skating and came in very wet. Yesterday when I went on a little stroll for fresh air I had to be […]
Steam Pudding and make-believe snow
Today it was snowing the kind of snow you see in store displays. They were large, fluffy clumps of flakes that slowly floated down. Occassionally the sun would peak through the clouds and everything glistened. I was shoveling snow as the kids played. And so when the sun came out I ran inside to get […]
My kitchen is filled with anticipation
December and snow has arrived. That means that there is a sense of waiting and electricity in the air. The little people are waiting for the right moment to bake gingerbread, to sew their teachers’ little gifts, hang up the stockings, make pinwheel prune tarts, and open their advent calendars each morning. This past Sunday […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
If there was one thing that I could transport from America to Finland, and I could not choose to have my family imported, Thanksgiving might be that one thing. It is one of my favorite holidays. I like the message that it contains; being thankful for the people and things in life and not just […]
Rauha
About a month ago, a friend of mine published her first recording. It is a recording including mainly pieces of music composed by Finnish composers including Oskar Merikanto, Leevi Madetoja and Ilmari Hannikainen. The name of the recording is Rauha, which means peace or in this case serenity. Last night Kaisa sent me photos from […]
Seven is a lucky number
Children start first grade here when they are seven. And it might be even a little more exciting if you happen to have a birthday in the same month. Most people have returned from their summer vacations and there is the anticipation of the new school year, new friends, riding your bike to and from […]
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