Written by Jaana Jokinen, told by my mother Mirja Anneli September 1949 in Kallio, Helsinki, Finland Slowly but surely, the days were getting colder and darker. School was back and autumn was upon us. I have always been a summer person, so even as an 8-year-old I wasn’t too happy about the changing weather. There…
Tag: Autumn Season
Changing Seasons
The seasons come and the seasons change. Time keeps rolling on. The journey of life sometimes feels long, but it is not endless. The last days of summer, of early life and youth are behind me now, they are but a distant memory. During my summer days, I felt fearless, spontaneous, dynamic, and self-confident. I…
Escape
The tougher life gets, the more I tend to daydream of escaping. The dictionary tells me the definition of escape is: “to get free from something”. We press the key on our computer keyboards which allows us to leave our current screen. We interrupt a process by pressing the “esc” key. I wish it was…
Harvest Time
I grew up in Helsinki Finland. We were a typical Finnish family, having a winter and a summer home. When the end of May arrived, our family of six moved to our summer cottage where we lived until autumn time and school went back again, after the long summer holidays. My childhood summers were devoured…
Bedtime Story
When I was a little girl, around 6 years of age, living in Helsinki Finland, my mum had one of her best friends visit us for supper. Eila lived in the same neighbourhood as us and had known our family from before I was born. She is one of those lifelong friends, who has remained…
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…
Sunrise Sunset
Is your favourite season spring, the time of rebirth, daffodils and new beginnings? Or do you prefer the summer fields laden with golden yellow flowers and humming bees darting through the air? Maybe you are like me and prefer the shorter, cooler days of autumn with an incredible display of vibrant colours. Yet isn’t there…