I love our house. We live in a 1960s home which we have done some work on. Or like Mr. Tee likes to say: we do our thing for 30 years and then someone else starts over.

When we first bought the house we had ideas what we wanted to renovate first. However, the dishwasher not fitting under the kitchen worktop made kitchen our first priority. Over the years we have formed a comfortable duo with the hubby. I have the ideas which my poor husband then gets to translate into real life, always making them better. And I am proud to say that on the latest renovations I even was able to help some. Painting works better to me than powertools.

The only bigger issue we have undone is the basement. That is such a big job that not going to happen very soon. But someday… I am gathering inspirations already J And during summer time I can do that in our lovely garden.

But the House is more than the building and the garden around us. It is the memories we have built here with our kids. It is the joys and sadness of life we have gotten through together as family. And when I was hanging the decorations this Xmas I realized that no matter what, we will always have the House and I really felt blessed. Hope you have descovered the House of your life also.

“What do I wish for Xmas? Lots more memories to come our way in the House.”

After hibernating away from the blog sphere for some time: Happy New Year!

I have come to admit that I just might be one of those people who really need to remind themselves to notice all the good around us. That was of course the reason for starting this blog in the first place and after testing silence for half a year – that is not for me.

So, my first New Year´s resolution this year is to keep on blogging. And since I am trying to really stick with my resolutions I take advice from the Happiness Project and set myself a more solid goal: minimum 2 posts per month.

My second is one that we do from time to time but follow-up last year really was not up to par: have our friends over for dinner more often. Really, twice in 6 months is just poor planning, don’t you agree? So, at least 4 times in 6 months sounds reasonable and attainable. Since I do not want to stress myself or our friends plus I want to be able to reach these goals. J

 My third one is one that I started already last year. To take better care of myself physically and mentally. This blog is working for the latter and my first push in years for some physical exercise is on-going also. A few years back my friend was telling how she really enjoyed going to the gym and I just could not picture myself there. And now I have booked gym time once a week and aim for 1-2 other exercise moments during the week also. And I keep a book – > this gives me a true view as to how I am doing. Cause let’s face it – by this time in my life I really have perfected the selective memory chip in my brains. Hah!

So three things. That should not be too hard – right? Right?

As for my happy thought to start off the New Year: definitely my family. New Year´s this year was way better since everyone was at home. I hope your start to the 2013 was also a happy one.

“What do I wish for Xmas? To see my resolutions fulfilled. Wish the same for you, my friend.”

Life in the summer is wonderful in so many ways. But for sure, food is a major joy and thus my happy thought for this June is one food specifically.

You might be surprised but this post is to sing the praise of: new potatoes.

 Every year we wait anxiously the arrival of these lovely little things. The skin is so thin that when you wash and scrub, the skin comes off. It is some work to wash a kettle full since they truly are really small especially early in the season. But even that plays to their special status. Something truly wonderful should take some effort, right?

 We cook them in just water adding some sea salt into it, cooking until the fork goes through with ease. Then they are ready. I cannot wait to get them to the table. I love my new potatoes with just some excellent butter. I cut the potatoes and add some butter on top of the piece. The butter melts on top of the piece while I savor the moment before tasting the beauty. The taste is pure heaven.

 Some people could not phantom theirs without herring but personally I have never learned to like herring so I just enjoy the new potatoes at their most basic:  add some barbequed stakes and you have yourself a feast. Yum.

 Normally we wait until the Finnish new potatoes are in season, which actually started this week. But since we had heard that the Swedish ones very pretty ok we opened our new potatoes season with the goodies from our neighbors. You might wonder what difference does this make? Well my friend, there is something special that comes into the taste this far up North. Just like with strawberries to my mouth the real taste is acquired growing where the season is quite short but intense.

 Some countries have asparagus – we have new potatoes. What does your country have as spring / early summer specialty?

 “What do I wish for Xmas? Well, since I did wish for potatoes and brown gravy as a kid – why not ask for new potatoes with butter in December this year?”

Lazy Sundays are one of the things that make my summer. Last Sunday was a perfect specimen of that kind. I opened up the gazebo right in the morning. I love sitting in there and admiring the garden. And since this weekend was the apple blossom weekend, that just made the views extra special. 

I think lazy is a wonderful. I believe in rewarding myself with time to just sit, relax and enjoy the summer in the garden. I take my Country Homes and Interiors magazines with me and jump into finding inspirational ideas – both big and small. 

Some part of lazy Sunday one should do little something. This will help to accent the actual laziness of the rest of the day. J This time I did some weeding in the garden. Seems that I am a very good gardener since all sorts of things grow in places (like gravel) where they have no business being – hah. I have over the years found out that there is no truly “easy” gardening style. But some time clearing the weeds gives the Sunday a fantastic view into what it would be like to stay busy all day – the more reason to stand down and just relax back into enjoying the views. 

Do you do lazy Sundays? I whole heartedly recommend them! 

“What do I wish for Xmas? Sundays to be blessed with sun and warmth to help us enjoy the gardens to the fullest.”

Every year I wait for the apple trees to don their beautiful gowns in May. I hope for a beautiful weather since that will allow me to enjoy the blossoms longer.

This year after a cold start to the spring we have enjoyed a warm week. And suddenly: They are here.

First only a hint of white starts to show between the new leaves. The, as the sun dances around the branches of the trees, the buds start to grow bigger. But still, they are withdrawn, wrapping their petals tight, as if questioning – can we really start blooming now?

And then, the day comes, when a keen eye catches the first flower peeking through the leaves. And before you know it, there are dozens more proudly spreading in the afternoon sun.

And I stand beside the tree totally lost in thought, just admiring the white gown she is wearing. Full open blossoms,  but still some buds remaining. And I remember again why I love apple trees. Not for the apples, no. But for the apple blossoms. For they are truly magical.

“What do I wish for Xmas? Apple trees to every yard in the world.”

We were watching the movie Knight and Day last night with Mr. T. I find that movie entertaining since it goes so overboard with the story. Funny, sad at places and packed with action & a romance flick – definitely my kind of movie. But I had forgotten already how the movie ends. And this ending really got me thinking how often we do this – talk about doing things “someday”. What are the things you will do someday?

 Someday is the magical place where we will have time and money and strength to do all things small and big which we have ever thought about doing. Someday the weather will be exactly right for the picnic. Someday the kids will be exactly right age to travel with. Someday it is rainy enough to clean the attic. Someday it is time to relax and not just perform all the time.  Someday the mortgage is paid and we feel free.

 In the movie someday came when Cameron Dias’ character decided that today is someday for the main pair. And that is just it: someday will never come unless we take action to make it so. Granted, we cannot all just take off and travel to the end of the world. But let’s be honest, for most of use there are many smaller things also which are waiting for the perfect day to come.

 So, you might wonder, what are my someday issues? Well, today I tackled one of them. I had for years talked about going to an antiques shop in the countryside near our city. Year after year I kept talking about wanting to go – yes, you got it – someday. Today, I took my little red car on a trip to the countryside. The weather was just lovely, partly cloudy and partly sunny. Since the trees are just getting starting with their leaves I was able to admire the wonderful lake views on my way. I also found myself driving down a country road I had never seen before and was amazed how lovely spring was with the open fields dotted with farmhouses.

 At the antiques shop I was drawn to smaller things since frankly we do not have much room for anything more. I would have been quite happy to walk away without anything but this little stool caught my eye. I did eye also some old style irons but the stool seemed to call me. And when I checked underneath it, it said: Merry Xmas, 1938 and a name. I just could see a little boy giving this stool he made in school to his Mom as a Xmas present. And so we were connected. The little stool now is part of my collection of yesteryear things. It is so lovely.

 This trip gave me a thought. Maybe this summer I also will visit three other countryside establishments I have been going to visit someday.

And maybe someday I will write that book I keep on wanting to start someday…

 “What do I wish for Xmas? Plenty of todays for all of us and a little less of somedays.”

This is an important question. Dreaming is so wonderful. I love to dream, it is as simple as that. This does not by the way mean that I am unhappy with my life today. I see dreaming as a way to virtually write a story, it opens me up for new possibilities since this is a totally mental exercise. I do not have to worry about possibilities. I can dream also things which at the moment seem quite impossible to bring into reality.

I dream both small and big.  One of my small dreams is to be an accomplished gardener (well, ok: with my skill level this is also a big dream J). Every spring I leaf through tons of gardening magazines and plant brochures. I oh and ah at different pictures, check out the prices, spend time gazing out of the window mentally picturing where I would plant these things. Although the confirmed truth is that I do not have the attention span to dig up something in the fall I just love the looks of dahlias. I did buy some one year (so I do take action on my dreams also!) but they did not make it. What I have found out is that rock garden (ready for hard life) plants love our “all day in the sun” backyard and truly do not expect me to water them daily. And every year I do buy some plants into pots, and each time I am able to keep them going over a month is a joyful moment for me.

A little bit bigger dreams have to do with for example traveling. My parents brought me up with trips to Greece. They would save all winter to take us down south several times and I found out the world is a bigger place than I could have imagined.  As a kid I dreamed of a year abroad and that dream came through in the end of 80’s. I still have a lovely American family I belong to as a result of that dream. Later in life I dreamt of taking our children to see the US and my family there. For years we talked about how lovely that would be and in 2009 we finally made that dream a reality. Now when Jr. had in history and geography America as a subject, he was able to relate on a whole different level. And of courese Ms. Teen is living her dream in Japan as I write.

When I want to go really over the board I dream of winning the lottery. Why on earth?  you might ask. Well, quite simply because I can! And since this dream allows me to think outrageous dreams which do not need to have any base in reality. Trust me, if you are having a negative day, when all seems to work against you: instead of turning sad, mad or down, start dreaming something really way out there. Something positive. And it does not change reality but it certainly will give you a moment of peace from it. You might wonder what my lottery dreams entail? Well, I have chosen Bora Bora as my “wow if I ever” place. I like the way that rolls off my tong as I say it. It even sounds fun. And when I combine that roll of the R’s with the image of a clear blue see, the kind you can see the bottom off even though it is plenty deep; white sandy beach with a palm tree hanging over me, getting a massage on the beach, having dinner at the seashore with candles all around me and my husband.. See, you are feeling it too, aren’t you. A summer house in the island of Mallorca with a private swimming pool does not sound too bad either, with my family and friends coming to visit. And then I just keep on building on those images until I feel a bit better.

As you can see from the beginning I am a firm believer in making dreams come true also. I am not saying that all the dreams are easy to actually realize and I know I am very fortunate that I have been able to travel etc. However, sometimes it just requires us to look at a particular dream really closely and ask: “What am I willing to do in order for this to come true.” It might mean asking for help or it might mean saving a long time. But once you do, it really is worth it – usually different than what you dreamt it would be like – but definitely worth the experience. And then all that is left is to find a new dream. Trust me – there always are things to dream about. What do you dream of?

 “What do I wish for Xmas? For all of us to be able to dream small and big. And to be able to take action in bringing some of those dreams into reality. Since dreams, they are aplenty.”

You might think I have gone bonkers since I am posting March happiness in May. But – no, I just want to share with you the wonderful things which made my March. My happy thought for March are my family and friends.

In the beginning of the month we went down to Espoo to celebrate my sister’s birthday. As part of the festivities we went bowling, a second in a lifetime for me. And since grandpa used to train bowlers this was a real treat. To have someone there to give you guidance and help meant we were all able to enjoy this wonderful sport to the fullest. We topped the day with my sister cooking us dinner which was really good. So way to go Sis -  you can age any day  and we will be there to celebrate! And do not worry, we gave her a gift card to a spa so that she can relax afterwards. J

On International Womens’ Day I got a double treat. First my darling husband brought me flowers and an addition to my collection of signs. It reads “Onni Löytyy Arjesta” = Happiness is in the Everyday Life. The flowers were beautiful and the sign is now a part of our living room. And I noticed that I do have another collection: signs. Of course my hubby noticed that before me!

And to top the day off my dear Friend gave me a special gift for the day. As you might have read on this blog I like to choose a new charity every month and have been looking into Charity presents the past year. I favor gifts where I do not need to purchase a toy etc. but instead give blankets/ education / animals to a person in need as a present to me or someone close to me And my friend gave me a charity gift: she bought a school uniform for a child in a developing country. Children and education, a perfect match to support! I felt so wonderful  – I can now definitely recommend these gifts as a recipient also!

 “What do I wish for Xmas? To be able to find happiness in the everyday life, through such wonderful moments and feelings.”

It seems the trees are working so hard to push out the first centimeters of the new leaves. Hooray they again made it happen!

Some people use their summer trying to get rid off any moss inflicting their perfect grass yard. I welcome ours since it is just so super: wonderful looking in the beginning of spring when grass is still getting started. Also super super soft under foot, very useful in crafts. All in all – I love moss.

I planted a small start of the vinca minor years ago in my rock garden. The full all day sunlight and no rivals has meant that this small plant is running the show. The lovely flowers are truly splendid and show that size is not the only thing that matters!

 

 

“What do I wish for Xmas? To be able to hold onto spring nature all year round.”

After a green Xmas we had the winter wonderland in January. And it went on and on. February, March – even topped with a huge blizzard in April of all months! So, I officially think winter has changed its place. Surprisingly this year the light of the spring did not wake me from my winter hibernation, since the snow was all the proof I needed that the winter was still dominant here. So I gave in to my feelings and kept on dozing off, not doing much anything.

But, now, finally here I am! My dear reader I wish to Thank You so much for returning to read my blog even though there has not been much to see lately.

So for my life lessons: to be totally honest my strategy for this spring was really not very good. The whole idea of writing this blog was to remind me – even when I am tired or sad – of all the wonderful things that surround me every day.

So join me and let’s smell the spring. This week we had a little rain which gave the birches the final push they need to sprout out those lovely spring green leaves. Small as they are, they totally transformed the views around the city. This is my favorite green. It is so beautiful it makes my heart ache. And since we had huge rain showers the following days now other trees have joined the birches. There are spring flowers decorating the lawn. I love these small ones.

Today I sat in the sun (wrapped in an afgan) at the back yard reading magazines on decorating and gardening… The sun was warm on my face and even though the weather is not so warm yet, I am back. Happy Spring my friends!

 “What do I wish for Xmas? Sun in a bottle – honestly, with the fragrance of true spring.”