Sunday 31 July 2011

Summer's Frustration

It has gone so quickly this summer! I honestly have no clue to where it has gone! Like every season it has had it's ups and downs!

Summer started well, I was exercising almost 2 hours a day, then mom and dad came and I stopped and put weight back on! Now I'm frustrated that all my hard work was wasted. I suppose it's frustrating when I have to exercise a lot to keep weight off from eating as normally as my allergies allow... but I am tolerating these new vitamin tablets quite well, soon I am up to taking one a day!



I am really back into cooking and baking but my allergies make it stupidly complicated as I can't have potato, tomato or vegetable oil at all, every small amounts make me react so trying to be creative around this is a pain. Nice sauces always contain something I can't have and can't replace with the same affect. I make sweet potato chips, quiches, pies, fish things, meatballs, loads of things but baking is by far my favourite. Even though I am very restricted with fruit and vegs my baking's reputation is beating me and people are asking why I don't open a market stand as it's allergy friendly and low sugar... really this is tempting and I may look into it when I go back to Tampere but it all depends on what kind of job hunting I am doing.


Finnish blueberry pie, made with wild blueberries we picked =)

I now have my new camera and I am getting back into photography. I need to research how I can sell some of my photo's to companies, such as the ones who make canvases from them as I have some beautiful photo's. Alas it's about time and priorities! I have no time and bigger fish to fry!

I really can't wait to move back to Tampere and I found out today one of my friend's is seriously considering changing job locations and moving there too! There is still so much awesome stuff planned for the next 2 years and I REALLY want to tell everyone but I promised Eero I wouldn't... so I haven't! but I could burst!! lol

It has been good overall, but the last few weeks have been hard, just had the "you are foreign" thing again. I guess I am just frustrated with how much effort I put into learning Finnish and the little I get back from it. But I am happy knowing all the work I submitted is my own and not everyone can say that! Mistakes are my own! Eero noticed my stress and has come to the rescue, he is trying to help me but sometimes he gets distracted by playing his games and doing his own stuff so he doesn't get time to help. I know he needs his own time but still I get stressed out not learning enough quickly enough! speaking is so hard for me but I am trying it as often as possible now!

Mom and Dad's second visit to Finland

So I have fallen behind with blogging as I didn't want to blog when my parents were here to inform anyone local that the house was empty for a long time, you just never know who or what would happen these days!

The 4th July was dad's birthday and I was so excited that they were coming I forgot to post it!! But he was more excited about visiting here on the 6th so it's not so bad, I called home anyway so it's not like I forgot!

Anyway, I will keep this brief most of their holiday was spent between Jyväskylä and going down to see Eero's family, it's always great as everyone wants to see them as much as possible. But somewhat heartbreaking when they didn't want to go but of course they have to! Dad is still going on about loving being here and mom too, weird to hear it from the people addicted to sunny climates!

Mom had a really bad fall while she was here, in the sauna. She fell out from the top to the bottom and banged her head and her neck everywhere possible. She didn't want to go to hospital even though she had concussion and felt sick for 2 days. I felt guilty for days knowing her back was bad and her leg gave out but I learnt the hard way she stays on the kids seat next time. Made it more gruesome was 2 days later her neck clicked back into place. Not a good event even when I'm a trained first aider... alas I don't want this repeated.

But all in all, the trip was sunny and warm. Mom even went in Jouko's speed boat (We didn't think she would as she hates boats and water) but overcome her fear and she enjoyed it.

Dad also got to go fishing with Jouko and they caught our lunch. They went to all 3 summer cottages and more than once! We also went on a cruise to Nokia with Jouko and Kati, really lovely night even though it looks cloudy on the photos!

Mom also went swimming on Päijänne the longest lake, and she enjoyed that. She can't swim far with her back and leg but it's shallow and I stayed near her incase she needed me. Eero swam over the other side of the lake a few times, around 750m each way and he brought me a flower back from the other side, hidden in his trunks. Mom thought this super romantic and told me at least a million times. Eero, more than happy to please brought me another flower in his trunks when we went to Valkeakoski.

Mom and dad left 25th July. We made jam too which mom wanted to throw away but I kept on with it and it was bloody lovely! mom has taken 2 jars of it back with her. I don't think summer could of been any more awesome if we had tried and won the lottery!

I was worried with dad putting weight on so took him for a walk everyday and he lost 4kg while he was here, unfortunately for me all the baking I did I put 4kg on! and with wanting to spend as much time with mom and dad as possible I didn't do my daily exercising.... alas my lazy ass is moving again now! but I do feel like if I went to the beach people would rush at me with buckets trying to push the whale back in the water!

Eero booked the whole time of work with mom and dad, I didn't ask him either just did it off his own back. Then he told mom we are going back just before christmas, I'm glad as I didn't get to see one of my cats before I left as it was ill in the vets.

Mom found the pet shop by us and went in there often looking at the tortoises and rabbits.... not like they need any more pets after 4 tortoises and 3 cats. But by God, I miss having a pet something to talk to and pet. It is one of the few things I hate about being here, having nothing to have as a pet because when I go back to the UK no one would look after it. One day, I will have a rabbit and a pony.

Mom and dad loved the balcony, I think they lived on it 8am until midday when it's sunny there, most days. We also saw some almighty thunderstorms, 2 of the worst I have seen here yet in Finland!!


Eero on evening cruise to Nokia


Mom and Dad on the cruise


Mom on Jouko's boat


Dad and Jouko back from fishing poor quality from phone


Kirsti, mom and dad at Pori, Jazz


Petäjävesi, world heritage church

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Midsummer

Midsummer was great, hot and somehow we missed the heavy rain most of the country had! Relaxing, eating and talking... good times!! But when brushing me teeth much later that night, I spat on what I then thought to be an electric LED and started panicking and shouting to E, asking who left electrical stuff outside. E, came and said there was no electrical stuff outside and dug around after what was glowing... turned out to be a glow worm!!! he was so cute!!!

Glowy, doing what he does best!!

Glow creature with flash

Friday 1 July 2011

Laura's Thrid Stay in Finland

Her first which was my first also been in Mikkeli 2008, then stayed in Tampere with us in 2009, and then again in Jyväskylä from the 10th to the 18th June 2011.

It was a weird week, weather wise. It started with the heatwave 30C+ then it rained, then scattered showers for the rest of the week but so far north, we can't really complain and it was the first week of rainy weather since the snow melted!

We had no car most of the time as Eero had to go to work in Tampere. Saturday, it was so hot so we went and found a beach after we had a drink and a ice cream at some old mansion cafe!

We went walking a lot, my favourite pass time after my bike, which almost killed Laura lol, at least shes now into her need to get fit stage! We went to the Natural History Museum, which was awesome! Went to the top of the näkötorni to look at the city while the sun was out! and to point out where we lived, where we were going and a general "yep, we are walking quite far". We then went to Tuomiojärvi (LAKE OF DOOM!!!)

Two of the nights the lunar eclipse was due, so each night we went a walk to Myllyjärvi (the sunsets that side of the hill) to see the sun go down and try and catch a glimpse of the red moon. The first night we saw Dennis and Iris!! but no red moon, the second night we called it quits at 11.45pm and the moon was seen red at 12.15am! bah! but it does come again the 10th December when we just have 4/5 hours of light so I will see it then mwhahaha!!

We went a car ride with Eero, Jenny and Laura, just a random drive around during the thunderstorm!

Then on the 18th we took Laura back to the airport and came home!