Amalfi sunset

I had seen this post( below), but for some reason I totally forgot to respond.

Today’s invitation goes all the way to Finland, where Ritva is trying to survive the dark of a Scandinavian winter. Take us away to somewhere sunny, Ritva, and if you do, link or pingback to my post/blog. Or just enjoy my photo when it gets dark, Janet thanks, I did enjoy yours 🙂

Amalfi at sunset

Countdown to 2021-30

I can now start counting the days to New Year. The traditional New Years fireworks have been cancelled due to Covid-19, but we have not shot them anyways, we have seen the ones our town fires, but I can live without them. I will post some photos from the past years. Not my specialty , but they are my humble attempts

Today is gray, we have a bit of snow, +3,9C temperatures, and so windy and wet. It can only get better from this.

One more year nearly done, and what a year it has been. Let’s set the table for the celebration, might as well start today.

table setting

That’s it for today 🙂

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Happy New Year 2021!

Happy New Year 2021! Hyvää uutta vuotta 2021!

Wishing you 12 months of success, 52 weeks of laughter, 365 days of fun, 8760 hours of joy, 525600 minutes of good luck, and 31536000 seconds of happiness. Happy New Year!

Countdown to 2021-29

I can now start counting the days to New Year. The traditional New Years fireworks have been cancelled due to Covid-19, but we have not shot them anyways, we have seen the ones our town fires, but I can live without them. I will post some photos from the past years. Not my specialty , but they are my humble attempts

Today is gray, we have a bit of snow +1C temperatures, maybe more snow in to look forward to. Nothing inspiring in the least.

snowing

We have spent few hours of watching M*A*S*H that aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983 from a DVD box we got several years ago. It follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the “4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital” in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War (1950–53) It is still a great sitcom, the themes are universal and it is still relevant in many ways even if it is from early 70’s.

That’s it for today 🙂

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-28

I can now start counting the days to New Year. The traditional New Years fireworks have been cancelled due to Covid-19, but we have not shot them anyways, we have seen the ones our town fires, but I can live without them. I will post some photos from the past years. Not my specialty , but they are my humble attempts

Here are my feeble attempts from 2013 – if not anything else, they are colorful.

2013

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

walk on the way

I read this from sloppybuddhist and it struck the cord with me. I believe this to be true. So I thought I would share.

As you start to walk on the way, the way appears

Buddha
Temple in Sri Lanka

Both these have the some action already happening to something good to appear. This is why I keep writing these blog posts, maybe I will find the way to inspiration. My other favorite is:

Let’s make music

Inspiration exist, but it has to find you working

Pablo Picasso

These both images are from our trip to Sri Lanka

Countdown to 2021-27

I can now start counting the days to New Year. The traditional New Years fireworks have been cancelled due to Covid-19, but we have not shot them anyways, we have seen the ones our town fires, but I can live without them. I will post some photos from the past years. Not my specialty , but they are my humble attempt from 2016.

We celebrated New Year 2016 in India, Goa. There were so many people on the beach with us… so many. Many of them had never seen the ocean before…we also participated in the tradition of sending fire balloons or are they sky lanterns into the sky. It was a New Year Celebration like no other.

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-26

One more day spent with family, over eating and drinking red wine. Luckily we have hardly any left overs, that is something. I would today we shall eat some and then it’s done for this year, but we will not be setting the table. Today will be back to normal, my husband happily told me that there is soccer on tv today. He is happy about it 🙂

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-25

Christmas eve was joyful, the laughter and joy of the grandkids opening their gifts. We have a tradition of giving one out end all wait until it is opened, then the next one is given from under the tree. This way the “joy” lasts longer.

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-24

Christmas eve. Merry Christmas, stay safe!

I

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-23

Tomorrow is Christmas eve. Yesterday we baked s Scandinavian ginger nuts, piparkakut in Finnish, they are tasty as they are but, apparently go very well with cheeses that we have for Christmas. We also wrapped some gifts  with Christmas songs playing in the background.

I slept so well last night, after two really bad ones, so I am happy. Feel like a sane person, with clear thoughts. Two previous day were as I was in a blur… Well anyway, this morning I woke up to happy sound of our grandkids in out backyard making a snowman. They came to ask behind the window of my husbands work from home office for a carrot for it, which we did not have. As you can guess, we got a little bit of snow last night. I don’t know if it will last until tomorrow, so we could say we had a white Christmas, but the boys were so happy that they had something to do outside

Snowman 23.12.2020

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-22

Two days until Christmas eve. Yesterday we decorated the tree. Traditionally using the same decorations we have had for years, some that I have inherited from my childhood home.

The lunch was delicious. Always a pleasure to have food prepared by someone else.

Fried salmon and
horseradish yogurt sauce

Mudcake with granberries and icecream

Cappuccino

Lights of the festive season.

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-21

Today: Sunrise at 9:26- Sunset 15:16- Length of day 5:50 hours – time of dusk 0:58 minutes .Two minute less of daylight than yesterday. Today is winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. It is nothing to celebrate, but it marks the end this years voyage to darkness.

Now towards the next goal counting days until Christmas eve. Today I am meeting one of my friends for lunch. She kindly invited me to meet at out local restaurant for lunch and I was not going to say no, we both have been basically staying home all the time and neither on is having any symptoms. It is so sad where we are with this pandemic. I am in a nice situation regarding this illness, that no one I know has had it, sadly this is not the case with many people, but I am lucky that way. This bubble I am in is small, I have not met many people since March when this really hit us.

Today is also the day we are going to decorate the tree. I will have to take a snap of it, even though it will look the same as it has so many years previously as I have not brought any new decorations for years. Traditionally safe look. There is something to say about traditions, this one is OK 🙂

I am really trying to come up with something to photograph, I had no inspiration. Here is slightly frost covered plants from 2013.

Lights of the festive season.

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Morning walk

This trip down the memory lane to one of our travels to Thailand brought back to my attention some of the photos taken there. This is also at Koh Yao Noi. This woman walking on the beach at low tide pick goods from the beach on the way.

morning walk
dreamy morning walk

Countdown to 2021-20

Today: Sunrise at 9:25- Sunset 15:15- Length of day 5:50 hours – time of dusk 0:58 minutes . A minute less of daylight than yesterday. A day until winter solstice. Tomorrow!

One more rainy, misty December day with drizzle and temperatures of +5c, no feeling of winter or Christmas. Slept late, woke up at the same time the sun was supposed to rise, if it did I sure have not noticed. We went to grocery store in the hope that it would be emptier today to do some Christmas food shopping. No luck, lots of people on the move, maybe with the same idea as we had to avoid the crowds.

I am really trying to come up with something to photograph. Here are some seasonal lights and a traditional Christmas paper star light.

Lights of the festive season.

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

High Tide

High tide

I did a post about low tide at Koh Yao Noi and I was asked by Frank if I had a photo of high tide. I did but unfortunately not totally with the same view. I did go and search my achieves of my travel photos from Thailand.

Countdown to 2021-19

Today: Sunrise at 9:24- Sunset 15:15- Length of day 5:50 hours – time of dusk 0:58 minutes . A minute less of daylight than yesterday. Only 2more days until winter solstice.

One more rainy, misty December morning, no feeling of winter or Christmas. Gone are the days of white Christmas here in the south of Finland – or at least they are very rare and far apart. Our local church looks nice even with out snow.

I can look at old photos of snow…

snow
Church at Kirkkonummi

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-18

Today: Sunrise at 9:24- Sunset 15:14- Length of day 5:50 hours – time of dusk 0:58 minutes . A minute less of daylight than yesterday. Only 3 more days until winter solstice.

Yesterday was somewhat peculiar, regarding to my job hunt, really odd. As most of the days there are no contacts in anyway or form to my applications, email, calls. Well yesterday, just before lunch I had a phone interview – it went well in my opinion. We are forwarding to the next step, maybe, hopefully, a F2F interview. By the way, these are no way related to the one I posted about previously, that did not go further. NO response at all. These are new opportunities.

Then when I was having lunch, I got another call. I was what, who can be calling – I mean two calls a day, what has this world come to 🙂 It was another company asking me to come for an interview in person. Wow! That was a nice surprise. Glad I answered the phone.

This morning already on the road by the time I usually start to wake up. It was dark, wet morning. The road soaked all the light, I had forgotten these mornings in the car. I was there on time even if there was surprisingly amount of traffic.

I had the interview with two nice ladies. I thought it went well, nice conversation with me trying to sell my experience and skills, but who knows. Most likely I will not get it, (the salary request) but it was nice to get the opportunity introduce myself in person. One more experience for the road.

Wet road
Xmas light reflectiond

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Low tide

KOH YAO YAI

Memories of travels past – this is from out bugalow in Koh Yao Noi at low tide. It was like been at our summer house as it was as quiet. Hardy any tourists there at that time

Countdown to 2021-17

Today: Sunrise at 9:23- Sunset 15:14- Length of day 5:51 hours – time of dusk 0:58 minutes . A minute less of daylight than yesterday. Only 5 more days until winter solstice.

Old Friends they shine like diamonds
Old Friends you can always call
Old Friends Lord you can’t buy ’em
You know it’s Old Friends after all

We met over dinner with old friends, we usually have had a tradition, that my girl friend for 40 years has hosted a pre Christmas party to a certain group of friends – four couples in December at her house. This year that tradition has broken due to this odd year. This year is we decided to have celebrate friendship and Christmas with a dinner with them in a nice restaurant just the four of us. No hugging, greeting smiles from distance and sitting across the dinner table. All good and safe. Delicious meal. For a starter I had flambeed snails (anise liqueur), Duck leg Confit for entree and for dessert Chocolate cake and beetroot sorbet.

Chocolate cake and beetroot sorbet
Winter scene from few years back.

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-16

Today: Sunrise at 9:22- Sunset 15:14- Length of day 5:52 hours – time of dusk 0:58 minutes . A minute less of daylight than yesterday. Only 5 more days until winter solstice.

Today I was listening to the new albums albums by Taylor Swift, Folklore and evermore, that she produced and co-wrote much of the albums alongside Aaron Dessner of the National. I liked them – evermore more. Long story short.

Reading news in so depressing, the positive news are so few and far apart. Negative are not so easy to miss. I try not to post my views here so I won’t go into it. Looking at old photos on the other hand is nice trip to memories of my family not present anymore

memories
Something that makes me feel good – Veikka the Cat

I have learned to do so many variations of macaroni casserole, today one more. this is Everyday food that can be done quickly. You cannot go wrong here.

Todays ingredients: 400g of macaroni boiled in bouillon, 300g minced meat seasoned with salt, pepper mix, garlic and onions, 1 Creme Bonjour Cuisine fraiche 240g sipulisekoitus and 150g of crated cheese. Oven 175c – 40 minutes. So easy.

If you got this far, great – thanks 🙂

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.

Countdown to 2021-15

Today: Sunrise at 9:21- Sunset 15:14- Length of day 5:53 hours – time of dusk 0:58 minutes . A minute less of daylight than yesterday. Only 6 more days until winter solstice.

Times are odd, I’ve started to read and even execute recipes I find. Most of the time I read them and slightly change them. Like with this fish recipe I found for pike-perch, it was meant to be done in the oven.

I sliced an onion, three garlic cloves, and thump sized ginger that I had grated, I first fried them in an oil and butter mix, then I placed the salted pike-perch fillets on it to fry. for a side I used the potatoes left over from the previous day and fried them also with onions. Our Sunday meal was ready. It was so tasty 🙂

it didn’t look all that great, but the taste was delicious.
Something hand make on my front door

I also decorated this glass vase for our kitchen table with Christmas balls.

I will be posting new and old photos somehow related to winter, Christmas and eventually anticipation of new year. My aim is to take one new photo a day, but not going to stress over it, if I don’t come up with anything.

Would you like to join us? Join in with this title and link it to my page.