Winter dropped in for a visit

This winter has started out so typically for these times... First, autumnally mild weather continues deep into November, then winter storms in (literally, this year), and just as the kids have all their sleighs and skis out, the temparature soars, leaving but muddy puddles of slush and the all-encompassing wet blackness and feeling to match.

A week ago we had the most severe blizzard since 1961, with predictable consequences. The electricity was gone for a while (we had it easy with only about an hour's outage); all traffic, private and public, on land, air and sea, was in total chaos; some folks in the countryside got genuinely snowed in. Within 24 hrs, southern Finland got about 40 centimeters (~16 inches) of snow and a good 15 cm more in the 24 hrs after that.


The Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral and Senate Square, right by Marko's workplace

We felt the fury of the storm pretty strongly, because we were driving home, having picked up the boys from Grandma's and Grandpa's where they had stayed overnight. The storm really hit just as we left Helsinki, and we had to crawl at 60 km per hour on the northbound expressway where the customary speed is over 100 km/hr.

The days following the blizzard were beautiful, with such winter wonderland scenery that Helsinki, a city with very little snow nowadays, has not seen in a long, long time. The tourists were overjoyed, even if the traffic mess must have caused them some problems. And here in Järvenpää, we were pretty sure that the Real Winter had arrived for good. It's just sad when everything melted and we're left hoping Christmas could, in the end, be white.


Atte skiing by our home in the Nordic winter's blue light

Otherwise, things are just dandy. Annu worked really hard a few weeks ago, very longs shifts and a lot of them, so now she's been enjoying the benefits of having days off and taking it more mellow. Marko's finally pretty happy with the way things are going at work: his interest in new internet tools, the social media and the ways organizations could benefit from using them is paying off. There may be some new tasks is store for him next year, but that remains to be seen.

We have been so proud of our boys and the way their school is going. Both are very good at math at this point, and they do just fine with the other subjects as well.

Reko has had to take some extra practice with his handwriting, but that too is getting better really nicely. He also participates in the reading club in his class. After trying out some books he wasn't too excited about, he finally found something that he can spend hours with, immersed in reading:


The book is in Finnish but the name is Star Wars, even in Finland

Atte's drum teacher is not teaching anymore and we try to find him a new teacher. Atte is also interested in the guitar, and we'll do our best to give him the opportunity to try that out as well. Music will obviously be a part of his life, and we hope we can support him in this so that it will be a richness and not a burden for him.

And hey: Christmas season in Finland begins today! We start decorating the house today, and maybe bake the first batch of traditional Nordic Xmas cookies. Mmm... :)





Good cheer to all!

Episode I: A New Hope

It was such a special day today, for America and for the world. We are so glad we got to see this coming true... We feel there is more hope in and for the world now than there was just 24 hours ago.

It has been no secret we have been for Obama all along. And now that the near-impossible has really happened, the future truly begins.

Last year in the States, we heard people talking and newspapers writing about Obama, who at that point was practically unknown in Europe. There was a tangible sense that this is someone who can "talk right down to earth, in a language that everybody can easily understand", without compromising his ideals, intellectual integrity and political vision. To put it bluntly, Obama and his message were making sense to so many people who had lost all faith in politicians. Because we share most of his views, we have been holding our breaths as the election day drew nearer.

Some, of course, have been more enthusiastic than others ;-) Marko was glued to pre-election polls for weeks before the actual day... and early this morning, at 4 am Finnish time, he crawled out of bed to watch CNN's election broadcast live. He had taken the entire day off just to be able to really take it all in. Well, we all have our little... eccentricities, no?

After the results came in, there was low-key but dedicated rejoicing in our household. The Stars and Stripes was brought out, a few happy tears were shed, and for lunch and supper only American-style food was served. Someone from the younger age group in this household complained that the German-made peanut butter we had can't hold a candle to the real stuff. At this point, we adults usually tell the kids to keep the noise down and eat, but this time he had a point. American peanut butter really is better. So, congratulations, America, wherever you are... And as for our family, there is now all the more reason to be excited about next summer. Visiting Washington DC during our stay is something we look forward to with extra enthusiasm.

On a less official note, we celebrated Halloween with friends last Saturday. Our American days got kind of kickstarted there. Apple pie, Jello, real pumpkin Jack-o-Lanterns... It's always fun throwing that party, so welcome to our Ghostly Grove of Gruesome Gremlins again next year, if you dare be around these grey and unlit corners... ;-)

But we have got to get past the holiday season first before can really even think summer. The winter spirits have already been hovering around. We put winter tires on the Volvo today, and some icy mornings Marko has really had to watch it on his bike. The dark and the cold tend to be downers, but there can beauty to it, too. This is what the ground looked like on the very first subzero morning about a week ago. Downright Christmasy, wouldn't you say, even if it was taken on a morning about a week before Halloween:









Looking at that, you can almost hear a bell far away... but it can't be, yet...