When my brother and I were children, we loved playing “hot and cold”. One of us would hide a small object and the other would be the hunter who would try to find it. The closer the hunter got to the object, the more the other person would call “hotter, hotter!”… and finally: “now it’s…
Author: Apples of Gold
I'm a mother of four adult children and also nanna to four grandchildren. I love baking, cooking and hosting dinner parties. My hobbies include reading, walking, and genealogy but I am especially passionate about nature and Inspirational Creative Writing! I was born in Helsinki Finland, but migrated to Melbourne Australia as a child.
My four blogs include creative writing blog at www.applesofgold.blog
an Australian travel blog at www.downunderroadtrip.blog
a Christmas blog at www.insidejaanaschristmashome.blog
and a food blog at www.finnishfoodiefromdownunder.blog
I would love you to visit all four!
Bedtime Story
When I was a little girl — around six years old — living in Helsinki, Finland, one of my mum’s dearest friends came over for supper. Eila lived in the same neighbourhood and had known our family even before I was born. She was one of those rare, lifelong friends who remain close, no matter…
Timeless Treasures
When I was a little girl and lived in Finland, I had a special friend. Her name was Tiina. My friend and I lived a few hundred metres from each other and were in the same class at school. A lot of the time, she almost lived at my place, only going home to sleep….
Wait a Minute
My earnest desire is to find joy in every single day, but I understand some days are harder than others. Recently, I came across a quote that made me chuckle: “By replacing your morning coffee, by green tea, you can lose 87% of what little joy you still have left in your life.” The more…
Wood-smoke and Cinnamon
The natural beauty of Finland is breathtaking, and autumn is no exception! Summer ends with an explosion of autumn colours. The forests turn to various shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown, or maybe I should describe them as amber, auburn, russet, and crimson. I am a lover of autumn, of earthy colours and golden…
Treasured Simplicity
Let me describe to you the simple pleasures of Finnish life. It’s an early autumn morning, there is a crispness in the air and a light drizzle but it is hardly noticeable. I arrive at the local Prisma supermarket store to collect some essentials to add to my already loaded car. I enter the store…
The Royal Symphony
Some time ago now, I had an unforgettable experience, at The Sydney Opera House where I got to listen to the masterful performance of Pictures at an Exhibition by Sydney Symphony Orchestra by conductor Giancarlo Guerrero. There is something about live music that is exhilarating. As an audience member I felt more than a spectator,…
Everyday Moments
I have lived in Australia most of my life. We all get conditioned to the surroundings around us. It becomes everyday and something that becomes so ordinary that it becomes a part of our life’s fabric. What is interesting to me is that we become almost blinded to our surroundings, so much so that it…
Blue and White
I was 11 years old when my family migrated from Finland to Australia. At the time I had very little understanding of the magnitude of what it really meant. I think I was more excited about going on a plane than anything else, because I had never flown before. Yet I was acutely aware how…
Time Travelling
I caught myself daydreaming today. I had traveled back to the days of my grandma and the happy days of my childhood. The Finnish word “mummi” (which means grandma) is always connected to the word “happiness” in my thoughts. Here I was ringing her doorbell, the type you twist, instead of press. I didn’t have…
Apples of Gold 