At the zoo

We have a year ticket to korkeasaari zoo. We go there every once in a while. Now we decided to pay the zoo a visit on christmas day. That's a good place to walk off all the extra you ate on christmas eve.

When we got there we found out that there was a special route for children in Korkeasaari for christmas time called the stable gnome's route. How I enjoyed it! As a daughter of an artist I can really appreciate things that demand imagination. I'm not sure if the kids enjoyed it as much as I did.

There were signs like this showing the route all the way around the island. Each one was different even though there were many of them. On the route there were also signs where the stable gnome or the girl gnome of the island told about some of the animals and how they have helped them. There were also few tasks for children to fill on a paper (like weighing animal horns, figuring out which hair goes to which animal). What I liked the most was the little scenes that had been built on the route showing the gnomes home, secret garden, kitchen, sauna etc. Look the pictures:

The girl gnome's kitchen

her secret garden
Indoors picture of the boat in which the stable gnome can go around the island

the stable gnome's forge shop

His sauna

The stable home
His skis.

At the end of the tour the girl gnome and the stable gnome had a fancy dinner at the zoo restaurant. The setting was beautiful but my camera's battery was already dead by that time.

I really like Korkeasaari. Most of it is outdoors but there are few houses too. I like walking there. In the summertime the garden looks beautiful and even in wintertime one can enjoy the good work of the gardenists. here is just one example.

Even though we visit Korkeasaari quite regurlarly there is always something new to see or experience. This time the male lion decided to play with our children fortunately through the glass. Exhibitions are quite big and well taken care of except for birds. I think they should have bigger exhibitions. Anyway I like it. And the stable gnome's route was such a special treat for me! Especially when the weather was just perfect. it snowing without wind big snowflakes. This picture is taken from the island towards the downtown Helsinki. Background you can see two ice-brakers waiting for their work season to come. girls enjoying the animal figures on the way to the zoo island.
Me and girls looking how teddy bears are in winter sleep in an very old bear cage. I'm wearing my favourite hat from Peru.

Merry Christmas

Christmas is here again! You can tell it when you smell the fir-tree when walking into your home, you see candles at people's windows, presents coming out of their bags and when you hear christmas carrols all over the places. It never dissapoints you but it comes every year bringing the hope to the world!

This year I've been thinking how tired Mary must have been on the first christmas after the long trip to Betlehem and even after got there in looking for a place to stay overnight all while being pregnant ready to give birth. Along the day she must have cried occasionally her tiredness and despair. I'm not sure if she remebered that she was carrying the Son of God in her. She might have been too tired to care for that. But she gave birth to Christ our Savior and those moments of despair changed into the night of the miracles after miracles, into the night that generations after generations would remember! All along God had been with Mary and Joseph making the divine plan come true. Mary just didn't feel it or even believe it.

I've felt it this December. I don't remember being this tired ever in my life. I haven't been able to concentrate to the real meaning of christmas. I've been too busy with my work and all the concerts, events, reports etc. which come along with my work in December. I've just been walking this road step by step towards the christmas doing all the things I've had to do. On the road I lost my belief for the fact that God cares for me and carries me in my moments of despair. But just like for Mary the real christmas came to me too. I can see it in the eyes of our children, in the flame of the candle, in all the decorations and most of all I can feel it in my soul. CHRIST WAS BORN! It's time to celebrate it.

I can't even imagine what my life would be without the first christmas. I'm so happy that God changed Mary's wearyness into the joy to the world. And He did it to me, too. I hope you all can experience the secret of christmas in your life!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!

PS. This year I didn't send any christmas cards. With that money I planted a real christmas tree in Peru hoping that it will bring joy to the family in need with its fruit.

Christmas is coming

Angels and elves have found their way to our home once again! I love Christmas time! In decoration I like using self made little things, nothing fancy. Smaller elves on teh picture have been made by my grandmother and the others are made by some craftsman from Imatra. The christmas angel is a gif from my pupil.

Christmas time means also delicatessen and in order to have those one should either make them or bake them. I prefer baking myself. It's a good way of spending time with children and of course you get the scent of the christmas. In Finland the most common things you bake for christmas are gingersnaps and Finnish Christmas pies. I love the pies. We eat them only in christmas time. There is a picture of me making them and a picture of them already baked here.













Mother's enthusiastic helpers.


One thing is a tradition at our family. We don't make gingerbead house but we make a gingerbread creche. I want to remember and remind others that christmas is a christian event. Here is our creche.

It would be nice to hear what kind of delicacies are been made all over the world. Please, let me know! I will appreciate the recipies too.

Christmas means presents too. I love giving presents. I would love to give everyone selfmade present but I don't have enough time for making them. This year I've knitted few stocks. A Finnish company Novita has created a yarn that has stripes in it. It helps a lot when you don't have to change the yarn in order to get the stripes. So you get good looking stocks easily. Take a look!

There are still 6 more nights till christmas eve which is the biggest of the christmas days here in Finland. So plenty to do still. Blessings to your preparations!

Our Independence Day

The 6th of December is the independence day of Finland. We got our independence 88 years ago in 1917. It is very dear to us while we still have about 100 000 war veterans living among us and reminding us what it has taken in order to keep our independence during the second world war. There were three different wars is Finland that time The Winter War (30.11.1939 - 13.3.1940), The Continuation War (26th June 1941 - 5th September 1944) and the Lapland War (15.9.1944- 27.4.1945). As I have told earlier that my grandparents met in war and I wouldn't exist without the war. My father was only three months old when he and his family had to flee the lapland war. So the war still is affecting our lives.

At school we always have a special celebration around the independence Day (the actual day we don't have school, stores are closed etc.). In the morning we gathered around the flag pole. Two pupils lifted the flag and then we sang Siniristilippumme, our flag song, accompanied by three trumpets. In the afternoon we had independence ceremony indoors. It started with the entrance of the flag. Everyone standing and a string band played Sibelius. Then it was the turn of my brass band and we played a song called Blue and White, Sininen ja valkoinen as the colours of our flag. One eigth grader gave a speech the ninth graders performed Nocturne which is one of the most loved poems by Eino Leino. At the end we sang our national hymn, Maamme-laulu. The ceremony was beautiful and solemn, the gymnastic hall was decorated very elecantly and the athmosphere was dignified.

We Finns celebrate our independence burning these blue and white candles, enjoying the day off work, attending some ceremons by war veterans and mostly we watch the big gala from our president's castle from tv (unless you are invited which is a big dream of every little girl - and maybe older one too - in Finland). Among the guest there are of course our parlament, administration, highest government officials, diplomats working in Finland, bunch of famous Finns etc. Of course they are all dressed up very fancy and we normal people get to critisize the costumes or enjoy them. Most of the magazines publish pictures of the guests afterwards. There is even a fashion commentetor present in the castle and he or she explains the dresses and the designers behind the dresses. Now I have to brag that few of the dresses designed by my childhood friend has been in the castle. If she keeps it going maybe she will be invited in herself some day! Marita Huurinainen is one of the top young designers in Finland.

Well when guests in castle wear the modern costumes people in other celebrations wear national costumes if they happen to own one. Here are our vice principal and music teacher in their costumes. Every region has their own kind of costume. I wish some day I can afford to have one too.

Now I'm going to enjoy the blue and white candles, our very own culture in many forms and the very needed day off.