LongLand

We spent past 4 days in Turku. It is amazing how long country Finland is. We traveled from frozen sea to blooming cherry trees!

Turku was European Capital of Culture in 2011. To make something permanent they plant 222 cherry trees, different pieces so the blooming season lasts longer around the city. I have never seen so many, not to mention so big blooming cherry trees despite I know they get much bigger aboard when being older. I do have few tiny cherry trees in my garden but they are nothing compared to this. 

Today when we arrived home the sea is still frozen up here. My garden has made a great progress and it is now almost 100 % snow free zone.

Past two nights all around the world they've seen Aurora Borealis even there where they usually don't appear. I am happy so many of you -hopefully- were able to enjoy about them. Here you can read my traditional story of Aurora Borealis / Northern Lights: The Fires of Fox.

In 2023-2024 it has been unusual long snow season. It is because of the climate change. When the Gulf Stream begins to weaken it doesn't warm us so much anymore and we get colder over colder seasons and hotter over the warmer seasons. I can cope with the cold but am such a cry baby when it is warmer than +24C.

The trees never grow straight by the sea shore where it is always windy.💚

Frozen

It is 8.5.2024 and the sea Gulf of Bothnia is still frozen. Today the morning temperature is -5C. The day light time is today 18 hours and 13 minutes. The sun rises at 4:12 am and sets at 10:25pm. We are travelling to MidSummer.

The ice is getting so weak that none should go there anymore. But the ice doesn't go away yet. The world is not ready and us people need to be patient. We can't rule the nature.

Sometimes people ask me how come I can be so calm and patient when something stressful happens or nothing happens at all even it should. I always try to explain. This is the reason. When your roots -the genetic code- is buried so deep into this arctic area the ones who can't wait, be calm  and patient have died and not been able to share their genetic code forward in the path of evolution. They have made fatal mistakes or the nature has tame their character. 

At the stream side of the bay is the boat harbor. The stream is so strong that despite of long hard frost periods last winter it didn't get frozen. That's why the harbor is open already despite the sea is not. The stream runs at the back ground of the pic. It is mainly a dangerous "under surface" stream where Näkki and Iku-Turso hide. They are sprites of the waters and have taken many lives also in this stream. That's why we need to wait. No going on ice anymore otherwise they pull you through and provide eternal underwater life. Waiting is quite difficult for modern people. To learn to wait is a good practice also for your mental health. That is what the nature teaches us.

AtExpo

At work we participated in Rovaniemi Craft Expo 2024. We had a workshop there. I designed and made this Sámi tablet weaving band for the workshop to show what tablet weaving is all about. It was succeed and all the visitors were lovely and interested about it. 

Did you know that tablet weaving is the oldest weaving technique and origins all the way back to Egyptian times 3000 BC. In Finland it was known at least 500 AD, perhaps earlier. Rigid heddle weaving arrived 500-700 years after that  which means 1000-1200 AD.

HappyDays

I stitched Springtime getaway luxury card kit that came with Cross Stitcher Magazine (May / 2022, issue 382). Instead of making it to be a card I made a pouch of it. The pouch is my own design.

I used a beautiful bicycle fabric I received from a friend and have used it also for BackToSchool-bag. I also used labels specialized for me that I have received also from a friend of mine.

It has lockers inside and velcro fastening so it can secure small items in like credit card, coins, meds or anything small you need to carry with you.

I re-designed the card that came with the kit.

The Reading Challenge No5

 The Reading Challenge 2024 is here!

On 2024 I encourage you to read books in different genres. No other rules but the genre. The meaning is to introduce different kind of literature and authors to yourself. But, you can still choose your favorite one if the genre is familiar to you. Notice, you can always drop out the book if you dislike it. It is highly recommended to use second hand books, borrowed books and your local library collection. If possible, read in all the languages you can. Also, don't be afraid of to pick up a book you have already read in the past. The second round at different age may bring you new experiences. 

May 2024 theme is FOLKLORE!

Hmmm, yeah! Folklore. I bet you all have heard about it. In literature it is just put in the written form. In literature folklore preserves oral tradition of tales, myths and legends. It is a great way to get familiar also in different cultures folklore you otherwise would not know anything about because you are not in there listening to oral tradition. 

Folklore is again one easy way to practice reading and making it to become a part of your life.