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…
Tag: Precious Cherished Moments
This Moment
I got up before sunrise and hurried out the door. I could hear the birds; they sounded way chirpier than I felt. My mum is having surgery, so I am keeping dad company today. I made us some morning porridge, a cup of chai for me and a cup of coffee for dad. We sat…
Dandelion Puffballs
Have you ever gone for a walk with a small child, held their hand as they skip along next to you, the budding extrovert happily chattering, jumping from one subject to another like a small grasshopper? It’s like a tap of delight that has been turned on and joy is flowing out. Children look at…
Afternoon Tea
I recently had my grandson over for a couple of nights during the school holidays. I don’t know what came over me, but I got a bit soppy, hugging him as he left. One moment he is little, with his cheeky smile that always reaches his eyes, his think blonde hair and that never-ending energy…
Something to Smile About
What makes you smile? When you go about your everyday life, of visiting a supermarket, or driving a car, what makes you smile? Do you notice those small little details in your day, or do you rush past them, missing the very essence of the day? Children tend to make me smile. Today I was…
Music and Dance
As a thoughtful mothers’ day present, my daughter treated me to an enchanting evening of music and dance by candlelight last night. My weary soul soaked up every moment of the captivating performance. From the instant I stepped inside the classic inner Melbourne Astor theatre, I was overcome with emotion. This wasn’t the first time…
My Son’s Wedding
My grandma taught me the love of proverbs, quotes, and sayings and used them often in her everyday speech. She would come up with all sorts, from funny to the serious, but every one of them was thought provoking. I remember one she had about weddings. She said: “For the couple, weddings are full of…
My Dad, My Hero
When I was born, I’ve been told, my father was so glad, that a little girl had been born to him, he held me in his loving hands. My father took care of me, always so tenderly. He was there to teach, to comfort and to always watch over me. My father’s love for me…
Baking with Grandma
When you take a tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls out of the oven, the beautiful smell of cardamom is enough to take any Finnish person back to happy memories of their childhood, of grandma’s kitchen or of having a coffee with a friend. It is for me! I think some of my fondest memories…
One Day in September
The morning after arriving in Australia from Finland, my family left for a walk from our new home in the migrant Midway hostel in Maribyrnong. I guess we wanted to discover this strange new country we had landed in. We walked along the side of the road, like ducklings flowing their mother. We must have…
Apples of Gold 