Kesatakki teepannulle / Summer coat for the tea pot

No nyt se on VIHDOIN valmis! Oli jo toissailtana mutta sain otettua kuvat vasta eilen...... ja kun ajattelin etta saan mukavat kuvat teepannun kanssa tajusin etta olin jo pakannut isomman teepannun, jonka mittojen mukaan tama oli tehty. Eli ei ole nyt sitten kuvaa pannun kanssa. Mutta virkattu teepannun kesatakki siita siis tuli. Ohje on kirjasta Erika Knight, Simple Crochet (2003).

Now it's FINALLY ready! It was ready already the other night but I got the photos taken yesterday..... and when I thought that I would take nice pics with the teapot I realised I had packed the bigger teapot (made it according to its measurements). So no picture with the pot. :( But it did come out as a crocheted summer cozy for the teapot. The patterns is from the book Erika Knight, Simple Crochet (2003).

Nyt teen tata.
Now I'm making this.

Nyt ei naurata / This is not funny

Pikkuneidilla on sitten enterorokko. Kattelin jo eilen sen sormissa olleita nappyloita ja epailys herasi. Samoin "klingon" meninki antoi aavistuksen siita etta kaikki ei ole nyt ihan ok. Pikku takiainen nukkui yhdet paikkarit daddyn masun paalla kun ei muualla ollut yhta hyva olla. Tana aamuna kammenet oli taynna nappyja. Samoin saarissa tuntuu nappyloita vaikkei ne viela nay. Kuumetta ei ole ainakaan viela ollut paljon. Eika suussa ole nappyloita/rakkoja. Toivottavasti ei tulekaan. Puuro meni mukavasti aamulla viela alas. Peukut pystyyn etta tama menee nopeasti ohi ja etta isompi ei saa tata.
Isosisko otti kuvat tana aamuna. Viela on tuo kohdistaminen hakusessa.

The little miss has hand and mouth disease. I was looking at the little spots on her fingers yesterday and I already suspected it but it was confirmed this morning with her palms full of spots as well as in her legs (I can feel the spots on her legs but they are very light still in color). Yesterday she was a little "klingon" and also sleeping her nap on daddy's tummy as nothing else was good enough gave me signs that things were not quite right. She hasn't had fever yet.... at least not higher that slight temperature. No spots/pores in her mouth so far and I'm hoping she won't get them either. Fingers crossed that this will pass quickly and that the bigger one won't get this.
Big sister took the photos this morning. Focusing is still a bit off.

Lauantai unelmia / Saturday dreams

Toivotelle kaikille ihanaa lauantaita!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Saturday!

Muistatteko? / Do you remember?

Muistatteko viela nama (siis kuvissa olevat)? No, silloin koukutti kovasti ja koukutin sen aika nopeestikin mutta kun tuli viimeistelyn aika niin sitten se jai. Nyt on viimeistely menossa eli joskos kohta saatais naytille koko tyo. :)
Taman paivan ohjelmassa sen kaiken muun tohinan seassa:
- kavely, joskos nahtais joutsenia lammella (ihana ilma kavelylle +23C ja aurinkoa)
- valkosuklaaraparperipiirakan teko
- pakkausta
- tyttojen viihdytysta
Mukavaa perjantaita kaikille!

Do you still remember these (in the photos)? I had terrible need to crochet and I did do it quite quickly but when it was time to do to the finishing it was put aside. Now I'm really finishing it so that you can see the end result soon. :)
Today's program among all the other things:
- a walk to see if we can spot any swans at the pond (lovely weather for a walk 75F and sun)
- making a rhubarb-white chocolate pie
- packing
- entertaining the girls
Have a lovely Friday!

Aivot pois paalta / Turn off the brains

Olen sellainen ihminen, jonka on pakko nollata paa ennen nukkumaanmenoa. Jos en tee sita, mietin kaikkia paivan asioista, tulevia juttuja, tehtavia asioita. Naen myos unta naista asioista. Toissa ollessani opetin monet yot unissani. Ei kovin rentouttavaa hommaa. Niinpa minulle on kehittynyt ihan oma iltarutiini. Kommin ylakertaan hoyryava teekuppi kasissa ja pujahdan vallyjen valiin mutten kay viela nukkumaan. Nautin teen mausta ja lammosta ja luen. Senkin olen huomannut etten voi lukea ihan mita tahansa. Sen on oltava jotain sellaista missa minun ei todellakaan tarvitse miettia yhtaan mitaan. Mita mina sitten luen.....no historiallisia roskarompsuja. Ne on niin ihanan "jarjettomia" etta niilla saan aivot sammutetuksi menneista ja tulevista asioista. :) Juu, pohkoahan tama on mutta jos se kerran toimii niin pitaydyn siina.
Rakas mieheni osti minulle joululahjaksi KINDLE TOUCH:in ettei sivujen kaantamisesta kuuluva kahina herata hanta. :) Armaani on hyvin kevytuninen ja yleensa han hipsii iltaisin ylakertaan ennen minua. No, olin juuri ennen joulua kaynyt ostamassa kaksi kassillista iltalukemista (lempipaikkani kirjojen suhteen on USED BOOK SUPERSTORE). Niita luen viela edelleenkin. Ja vaikka Kindle onkin ihana ja kateva kantaa laukussa ja matkoilla niin ei se kirjaa voita. Siina on vain sita jotain kun saa pitaa kirjaa kasissa ja kaantaa miehen herattavia kahisevia sivuja. :)

I'm one of those people who has to shut down my system before going to bed. If I don't do it I will think all kinds of things from the past day or what's coming tomorrow. When I was still working I taught often in my dreams. Not very relaxing. So, I've come up with a night time routine that will allow me to sleep. I take a steaming hot cup of tea with me to bed and read while I enjoy the warmth, taste and smell of the tea. I've also noticed that I cannot read just anything. It has to be something that I really do not have to think at all. What do I read then? Historical romance novels. They are so nicely "brainless" that I can turn my brains off completely. :) yes, I know it's a bit funny but if it's working I'm going to stick with it.
My dear husband bought me KINDLE TOUCH for last Christmas so that turning of the pages won't wake him up. :) My love is very light sleeper and usually he goes to bed before me. Well, I had just before Christmas bought two bags of books (my favorite place to get books is USED BOOK SUPERSTORE). I'm still working my way through these books. And even though I love my Kindle as it's so handy to put in my bag and take it along when traveling it won't beat a book. There's just something to hold a book and turn "husband waking noises" making pages. :)

Pyorremyrskyn jaljilta / After a tornado

Huusholli on siis kuin pyorremyrsky olisi pyyhkaissyt jokaisessa huoneessa. Oliskohan silla jotain vaikutusta asiaan etta viime viikonloppuna aloitettiin todellakin laittelemaan tavaroita laatikoihin ja homma jai kesken. Kun katson ymparilleni ahdistaa ja vahan havettaakin etta kamppa on tassa kunnossa. No, olkoon. Viikonloppuna homma jatkuu taas ja jos saisi osan tasta kaaoksesta laatikoihin.
En todellakaan laita kuvia kaaoksesta vaan haen positiivista energiaa ja kauneutta seinien ulkopuolelta.

It's our house that looks like a tornado had gone through every room. I wonder if the fact that the packing started in earnest last weekend has something to do with the state of the house cleanliness. When I'm looking around I feel anxious and a bit ashamed that the house looks like this. Oh well, we'll continue the packing this coming weekend and hopefully I'll get some of this chaos inside the boxes.
I'm really not going to post pictures of this mess but I'm looking for positive energy and beauty from outside.

Kaverukset / Friends

Esikoisemme on paassyt leikkimaan taas pitkasta pikasta aikaa parhaan ystavansa kanssa. Ystava muutti viime kesana Suomeen ja voitte kuvitella kuinka surkeita molemmat tytot olivat. Sen jalkeen on Skype ollut ahkerassa kaytossa. Viime syksyna tytot nakivat toisensa meidan Suomen reissulla ja nyt sitten taas. Nyt kaverukset saivatkin useamman paivan ajan temmeltaa keskenaan. Kuvia otettiin monia mutta nama kuvastavat hyvin taman parivaljakon valeja. Spontaania halailua ihan vahan valia (kuvat yhdesta tallaisesta halailuhetkesta). :) Kylla se on ihanaa kun on ystavia mutta kurjaa kun ne ystavat ovat niin kaukana. Eilen vieri kyyneleet kun eron hetki tuli ja tiedossa taas pitka odotus seuraavaan tapaamiseen.

Our oldest has been able to play with her best friend after a long time. The friend moved back to Finland last summer and you can imagine how miserable both girls were. After that SKype has been in a frequent use for play dates and girly talks. Last fall the girls saw each other during our holiday to Finland and now again. This time they were able to play together for few days. Lots of pictures were taken. Lots of spontaneous hugs (pics are from one of these hugging moments). It's wonderful to have friends but it feels terrible when they live so far away. Yesterday, at the moment of good buys, tears were falling. Another long wait for the next meeting.

Postilaatikko lommollaan / Dented post box

Viime yona joku oli sitten "jarkipaissaan" kaynyt lyomassa pesapallomailalla kaikkia kadun postilaatikoita. Ihmettelin kovasti miksi kaikki laatikot oli auki aamulla, mutta sivuutin sen silla etta joku oli kaynyt jakamassa mainoksia. Meidan laatikko oli vain puoliksi auki. Myohemmin iltapaivalla kuulin naapurilta etta parin talon postilaatikot oli ihan totaalisesti lommoilla. Minahan sitten syoksyin tutkimaan meidan laatikkoa ja kylla siitakin loytyi lommo. Ei tosin suuren suuri mutta lommo kuitenkin ja maalikin oli lahtenyt osittain siita kohtaa pois. Kylla ihmettelen tata jonkun alynvalaysta. Mieheni sanoi kuulleensa jotain yolla muttei osannut yhdistaa aanta unenpopperossa mihinkaan. Kun kuuli mita oli tapahtunut, tajusi kuulleensa juuri sen. Harmi ettei ollut noussut tutkimaan asiaa kurkkimalla ikkunasta ulos.
Tanaan taalla on ollut taysi kesa. Mittarissa komeili varjon puolella +32. Mita lie sitten auringossa ollut. Tanaan juostiin myos Boston maraton. Mahtoi olla kuumat oltavat juoksijoilla. Ei kylla yhtaan kaynyt kateeksi. Me tytot hoisimme aamupaivalla vahan kauppaasioita, ostettiin koiralle ruokaa ja kaytiin postissa. Autossa sai ilmastointi puhista taysilla. Ilmaisen saunan olisi autossa saanut jos olisi halunnut. Paaasiassa vietetiin paiva kuitenkin sisatiloissa. Niin kuuma ulkona oli ettei voinut oikein ajatella vievansa pikkuneitia ulos. Leikittiin siis sisalla ja syotiin jaateloa terassilla auringon siirryttya talon toiselle puolelle jattaen terassin varjoon. Huomenna edelleen kesainen paiva muttei sentaan tallaisia lukemia ja loppuviikosta ollaankin jo taas +15 korvilla uudestaan. Uskomatonta siksakkia.
Tama kuva ei ole talta paivalta vaan noin kaks viikkoa sitten.

Last night some one had a very bright idea and had been around with a baseballbat smashing post boxes on our street. I was wondering why all of them were open in the morning but thought that someone had been around delivering flyers and had been lazy with the post box flaps. Our's was open only half way. Later in the afternoon I heard from our neighbor that few postboxes on the street had huge dents on them and they would have to be replaced. Of course I had to investigate and found a small dent also on the side of our post box. My husband had heard something during the night but had not been able to connect the sound with anything sensible as he was half asleep. Shame he hadn't gotten up and looked what it was. I just cannot stop wondering why anybody would do something like that just for fun. :(
Today summer arrived (for few days). The thermometer showed +32C/89.6F in the shade. I wonder what it was in the sun. Today was also Boston Marathon. I didn't envy the runners a bit. Us girls were running errands and the AC in the car was working for it's money. We could have gotten a free sauna in the car if so wanted. Mainly we stayed inside. It was so hot I couldn't even think about taking the little one out. We played inside and ate ice cream on the terrace after the sun moved to the other side of the house. Tomorrow is still supposed to be nice and warm but nothing like today. Towards the end of the week we'll be back to +15C/59. Unbelievable zig zag.
This picture is not from today but taken about a forth night ago.

Yliannostus pinkkia... / Overload of pink...

... vai voiko sellaista ollakaan kun on kyse koristekirsikkapuista kukassa ja rhodopensaista. Olen ihaillut kukkia ja ottanut kymmenia kuvia. Tuijottanut kauneutta.

... or can there be such a thing when you are talking about cherry trees in blossom as well as rhododendron bushes in full bloom. I've been admiring the flowers and taken tens and tens of photos. Been staring at the beauty.

Jump On In!

Synttareiden ulkoistaminen taalla ameriikoissa on ihan arkipaivaa. Enemmankin saanto kuin poikkeus. Tanaan olin vanhimman kanssa yksilla synttareissa paikassa nimelta "Jump On In". Kaksi isoa huonetta taynna kaiken maailman pomppulinnaa ja huimia liukumakia ja temppuratoja (ja massiivisia varoitustauluja jokapuolella). Tunnin verran muksut juoksivat ja kuluttivat energiaa. Sen jalkeen pizzaa ja kakkua. Siinahan sita jo synttaria onkin ihan tarpeeksi.

Having one's birthday party somewhere else than at one's home is more a rule than an exception here in America. Today the older miss and I were in a place called "Jump On In" to celebrate her friend's birthday. Two big rooms full of all kinds of bouncing castles and gigantic slides etc (as well as massive warning signs everywhere). For an hour the children were running around. Then some pizza and cake. That's plenty of birthday party for one time.