Tag: 365 Project

Day 246: Weight Of the Family

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I picked up two family Bibles from my uncle today to deliver to my mum.

They are no light reading. The older of the two was printed in 1849 (177 years!) and weighs around 8 kg. It is impressive that it has remained in the family for so long.

I also find the written Finnish in the Bible fascinating. I can understand about 80% of it – and much of that is because I can guess the words from context, or already know the passage. But a lot has changed in less than200 years.

That’s a weighty piece of history.

Day 245: Food For Thought

Posted in Home, 365 Project, Cooking, StuartTagged , , , Leave a comment

I am extremely lucky that Stuart enjoys cooking. Even more so because he has taken over almost all the cooking during the busy work weeks.

However, sometimes (but never during those busy work weeks) I miss cooking.

As with any skill, your “touch” gets rusty when you don’t use it. I used to instinctively know how to season and flavor a dish. Now I need to measure everything and trust the recipe. Which – to be honest – typically tastes fine. But feels different.

I keep promising myself I will get back to it.

One day.

Day 244: Short Days

Posted in 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Even though it happens every year, it is still a shock to the system how quickly the days get shorter in the autumn. All of a sudden, it is dark when you go to work, and dark when you get home. And it’ll only get worse from here.

It says something about how extreme the change is that, in Finland, the winter blues (or kaamosväsymys) typically start in the autumn, rather than in the dead of winter.

Combine that with the usual (predictable) chaos of life – most intense preparations for peak season at work, the girls’ schoolwork and hobbies – and it is no wonder one feels a bit weary.

But a few sunny, brilliantly colored days do wonders.

Day 243: Frozen Flowers

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Some time back I saw an interesting post about photographing frozen flowers. With some cut sunflowers on their last legs, I decided to throw them in a freezer and give it a try. 

Cool idea,with a somewhat lazy execution. Next time, I will need more considered arrangement and better lighting. Trying to take the photos during a break between meetings – just because the sun happened to be shining – only added to the string of poor choices.

But – I think – worth trying again.

Day 242: Ruska

Posted in 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

Ruska, in Finnish, is the word for the time in autumn when the leaves change color. It encompasses the colors, the season and the particular affection Finns have for the phenomenon (or, at least, for the few beautiful, sunny days we typically get at this time of the year.

In our household, the season is more typically marked by going through all the “midseason wear” the girls need between summer and winter. And buying six pairs of waterproof gloves to replace the ones lost during sping.

Day 241: Crackling Fire

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Fire is hypnotising.

A long time ago, I had a friend visiting from Hong Kong. She could not tear herself away from our fireplace. Living on the 32nd floor, she had never seen a real flame bigger than a candle flame.

One of the first (and best) things we did when we moved in to the house was to replace the fireplaces iron door with a bigger glass one.

All the wonder, without the smoke.

Day 240: More Mushrooms

Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Cooking, Espoo, Fall, Makro, Nature, OutdoorsTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

I went mushrooming on my own. Major feat. Actually bringing home almost 10l was an even bigger feat.

Good mushroom spots seem to be big secrets, shared only with the closest family. Asking experts (or anyone who regularly picks mushrooms) where to go is almost sacrilege. You either get a very vague answer, or they tell you outright they only go to their family spot. Even internet forums come up empty.

Having no family who go mushrooming – especially not in Espoo – I was on my own. I used AI to identify a right type of forest. And went in blind.

The first hour was pretty desperate… Not helped by the fact that it had been windy, so the forest floor was covered in fallen leaves – each exactly the same shade as the mushrooms I was looking for.

But then I found them. And the best thing is that where you find one, you are bound to find another.

I marked the spot.

Day 239: Moment For Myself

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A lot of my pictures lately have been taken outdoors: in forest, on streets or simply of flowers outside houses I pass.

Both at work and at home, there is rarely a period longer than 5 min when no one is asking me for something. (Unless I’m having a nap, but that is not a particularly photogenic moment). So when I’m out walking – during the girls’ hobbies, on my way home from the office, etc. – that’s when I look around for something to point my camera at.

It’s fine. But even I think it is monotonous.

I have 126 days left. I’ll try to get back to more intentional photography!

Day 238: Reading

Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Finland, Stuart, StuartTagged , , , Leave a comment

I was listening to Alanna read her homework chapter to Stuart tonight. I was surprised how well Stuart was able to catch all the little mistakes, whether she mixed up letters (which can change the meaning of a word) or got the endings wrong.

Considering that he probably didn’t even understand what all the words meant, it is quite a feat.

Definitely requires a lot more concentration from him than from me.