En pety koskaan... / I'm never disappointed...

Eino Leino. Mina en koskaan pety kun luen Eino Leinon teoksia. Tanaan koti-ikavan tuottama kaiho oli aika suuri. Ja mika muukaan kuvaisi Suomen kesaa parhaiten kuin Nocturne.

Nocturne

Ruislinnun laulu korvissani

tähkäpäiden päällä täysi kuu;

kesä-yön on onni omanani,

kaskisavuun laaksot verhouu.

En ma iloitse, en sure, huokaa;

mutta metsän tummuus mulle tuokaa,

puunto pilven, johon päivä hukkuu,

siinto vaaran tuulisen, mi nukkuu,

tuoksut vanamon ja varjot veen;

niistä sydämeni laulun teen.

Sulle laulan neiti, kesäheinä,

sydämeni suuri hiljaisuus,

uskontoni, soipa säveleinä,

tammenlehvä-seppel vehryt, uus.

En ma enää aja virvatulta,

onpa kädessäni onnen kulta;

pienentyy mun ympär' elon piiri;

aika seisoo, nukkuu tuuliviiri;

edessäni hämäräinen tie

tuntemattomahan tupaan vie.

Eino Leino

Eino Leino is one of our great poets. I'm never disappointed when I turn to read his work. Today the melancholy of the persisting home sickness got to me more than I expected. And what would describe the Finnish summer better than his Nocturne.

Nocturne - translated by Aina Swan Cutler

I hear the evening cornbird calling.

Moonlight floods the fields of tasseled grain.

Wood smoke, drifting veils the distant valleys.

Summer evening's joy is here for me.

I'm not happy yet no sorrow shakes me,

but the dark woods stillness I would welcome.

Rosy clouds through which the day is falling,

sleepy breezes from the blue gray mountains,

shadows on the water, meadow flowers...

out of these my heart's own song I'll make!

I will sing it, summer hay-sweet maiden,

sing to you my deep serenity,

my own faith that sounds a swelling music,

oak-leaf garland ever fresh and green.

I'll no longer chase the will-o-wisp.

Happiness is here in my own keeping.

Day by day, life's circle narrows, closes.

Time stands still now ... weather cocks all sleeping.

Here before me lies a shadowy way

leading to a strange, an unknown place.

Eino Leino

Kukkaisvoimaa / Flower power

Taalla uuden kodin alueella on paljon kukkia. Ja niista pidetaan huolta. Kun yhdet kukat kuihtuvat uudet aloittavat kukintansa. Kivasti mietitty ja suunniteltu. Meidan ovenpielessa rappusten vieressa on istutettua puna-apilaa. Se tuntuu nain suomalaisittain vahan hassulta etta apilaa laitetaan kukkaistutuksiin. Tassa vahan esimakua.

Here at our new home's area there are lots of flowers. And they are well taken care of. When one set of flowers wilt next ones start blooming. It's been nicely thought and planned. We have red clover in the flower bed next to the steps. As a Finn it feels a bit funny to have clover in the flower bed. Here's a little taste of what we have here.

Purkki poikineen / Pots and pots

No niin.... tama mamma hymyilee kovin leveasti. Projekti valmis. Eihan tama kovin ihmeellinen ollut mutta yksi juttu pois tehtavien listalta.

This mummy is smiling. The project is ready. It's not anything special but it's one thing off of the TO DO-list.

Tasta lahdettiin. Kuvasta puuttuu kirkas spraylakka.
This is where I started. The picture is missing the clear spray sealer.

Maalasin purkit 4 kertaa spraymaalilla ja paalle 2 lakkakerrosta.
I spraypainted the pots 4 times and then added 2 coats of spray sealant.

Ihan IKEAn purkkeja olivat.
They were plain IKEA pots.

Lopputulos oli hauska. Olisin halunnut lilan sinisen tilalle mutta ei loytynyt oikeaa savya (tyttojen huoneessa toistuu sailytyskoreissa pinkki, vihrea, lila). Valo ei vaan riittanyt kuvissa eli piti ottaa salama apuun. :(
The end result was fun and bright. I would have wanted purple instead of light blue but I couldn't find the right color (the girls' room has pink, green and purple storage bins). Didn't have enough light in the room so had to summon the flash for help. :(

Juu......EI / Yes......NO

Paivan saatiedotus oli oikeassa. Pahus! En saanut siis tanaan tehtya projektiani loppuun. :( Huomista on hyva odottaa. Kamerakin on pysynyt sisatiloissa ja kamerakassissa. Tanaan siis harmaa, mitaan aikaansaamaton paiva.

Today's weather forecast was correct. Darn! I didn't have a chance to finish my project. :( Waiting for tomorrow. Even my camera has stayed in the camera bag. Today has been very gray and shiftless day.

Pahuksen pilvet / Darn clouds

Aurinko paistoi, oli kuuma ja juuri sopiva saa projektini toteuttamiseen. :) Intoa taynna takapihalle touhuamaan......
Luontoaiti oli toista mielta kanssani asiasta ja pilvia keraantyi todella nopeasti taivaalle ja sitten alkoi sade. :( Projekti jai siis kesken. Toivottavasti huomenna saisin sen paatokseen. Peukut pystyyn etta saa olisi aurinkoinen tai ettei ainakaan sataisi.

Sun was shining, it was hot and just the perfect weather for my project. :) Enthusiastically I rushed to the back yard to do my things...
However, Mother nature disagreed with me and clouds started to gather very quickly and then started the rain. :( So my project is unfinished. Hopefully I'll get it done tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that it would be sunny day or at least that it wouldn't rain.

Koti-ikava / Homesick

Jostain nurkan takaa iski koti-ikava vaikka juuri olin Suomessa. Ehka juuri siksi. Puhukoon tama laulu puolestani.

Unexpectedly I got home sick even though I just was in Finland. Maybe that's why. Let this song speak for me.

Alexander Rybak - Suomi

I used to be in search for beauty,

used to be in search for grace.

Now I see your lakes, your forest

you have put a smile on my face.

Once I thought I'd seen it all

now you show that life is so much more.

Suomi feeling in my heart forever

Suomi feeling in my heart forever

The souvenir of smiles and laughter

takes me back to dreams I've had.

Loosing you is life in silence

Dimonds are forever worldmap.

The midnights are the lights to seem

now I know that beauty truly breeze.

Suomi feeling in my heart forever

Suomi feeling in my heart forever

Irlannin reissun suunnittelua / Planning the Ireland trip

Marraskuun alussa olemme Irlannissa haissa. Mieheni paras ystava menee naimisiin ja mehan menemme tietysti paikalle. Suunnitelmissa on etta olisimme Irlannissa noin 1,5 viikkoa ja tutkisimme samalla mita kaikkea Irlanti tarjoaa. Olemme molemmat kuulleet etta upeita maisemia niin merellisia kuin vedettomiakin on yllinkyllin. Linnoja, raunioita, pienia ihastuttavia kylia. Jos joku on kaynyt Irlannissa niin ehdottakaa ihmeessa kayntikohteita. Ja erityisen innolla otan vastaan vinkit siita mita lasten kanssa voi Irlannissa tehda. :) Toistaiseksi netissa surffailu ei ole tuonut hirveasti valaistusta tahan asiaan.

In the beginning of November we'll be in Ireland attending my husband's best friend's wedding. The plan is that we would stay there for 1,5 weeks. We have both heard that Ireland is full of magnificent sea views as well as views without water. Castles, ruins, small charming villages. If someone has been in Ireland I'd be delighted to hear any suggestions what to see while there. And especially I'm interested in tips of what to do there with children. :) So far surfing around the Internet hasn't brought lot of light on this subject.

Bestikset, samikset / Best friends, lookalikes

Oi riemujen riemu! Tytot ovat yhdessa jalleen.... ainakin muutaman viikon. Toisen loma taalla USAssa oli niin kovin odotettu asia ja nyt neidit ovat paasseet leikkimaan yhdessa: Barbeilla, prinsessaleikkeja, Muumeilla, esittamaan tansseja, pukeutumaan roolivaatteisiin jne. Kikatusta ja suputusta. Ihania tyttojen juttuja! Mina hymyssa suin seuraamassa naita touhuja.

Oh joy of of joys ! The girls are together again.... at least for few weeks. The other one's holiday here in USA was such an expected thing and now the misses have been able to play together: with Barbies, being princesses, performing dances, dressing up etc. Giggles and whispering. Lovely girly things! Me smiling, watching them together.

Miksi hyvastit ovat aina niin vaikeita? / Why farewells are always so difficult?

Hyva ystavani muuttaa viikon paasta pois taalta takaisin kotimaahansa Englantiin. Naimme hanet tanaan viimeista kertaa ennen muuttoa. Luulisi jo tahan tottuvan mutta ei. Tanne jaa tyhjio, joka on vaikea tayttaa. Yritapa olla itse itkematta ja vahvana niin ettei lapset hermostu mutta kun vanhin tajusi etta nyt on kyseessa pysyvammat jaahyvaiset ja itkee sydamensa pohjasta asian takia ei ole helppoa olla itkematta itse. Omat kyyneleet saastan myohemmaksi.
Onneksi maailmassa on asioita kuten Skype, FB seka sahkoposti naiden vanhanaikaisten puhelinten ja postin lisaksi.

My very good friend is moving in a weeks time away from here back to her homeland Enlgand. We saw her today last time before the move. One would think that one gets used to saying goodbyes but now. There's going to be void here which is going to be hard to fill. Try to be calm and not cry so that the children won't get upset but when my oldest realised that this is going to be permanent good bye and she cries her heart out it's not easy to keep the tears inside myself. I'll reserve the tears for later.
Luckily there are things in this world such as Skype, FB, as well as e-mail in addition to the old fashioned phone and mail.

Ei sunnuntairauhaa / No peace on Sunday

Onkohan tanaan ollut joku lasten kansallinen vinkumankukitina-paiva. Molemmat tytot ovat olleet ihan mahdottomia. (Rautakaupassa kaydessani kaikki nakemani lapset olivat enemman tai vahemman samassa mielentilassa.)
Taman paivan tehtavien asioiden lista ei lyhentynyt juuri ollenkaan. Sain sentaan kasattua sen eilen ostetun hyllyn, ja laitettua verhoon renkaat niin etta nyt saadaan ne helposti auki ja kiinni, ja kavin mina paikallisessa K-raudassa niita verhotangon renkaita seka spray-maaleja ostamassa. Siina sitten olikin taman paivan saldo.
Mieheni ja esikoinen tekivat jumbokekseja. Siis todella jumbo. Niista loytyi kolmea eri sorttia suklaata. Makoisia mutta niin isoja ettei minun tule niita syotya.
Alimmassa kuvassa jossain keskella lymyaa maaorava.

I wonder if today was national chidren's whining day. Both girls have been absolutely impossible. (And while in the home improvement store all children I saw were more or less in the same state of mind as my own.)
The TO DO list for today didn't get much shorter because of the above mentioned state of mind in my children. At least I got the shelving unit put together, put the curtain rings on the curtain rod so that now we can actually open and close the curtains and I did go to the local home improvement store to by those rings as well as spray paint. However that was today's achievement.
My husband and the oldest girl made jumbo cookies. I mean really jumbo. They have three different kinds of chocolate in them. They are yummy but so big that I'm not one to eat them.
In the lower picture somewhere in the middle there's a chipmunk.