Friday Bliss #200 - Kalle’s Birthday

Last Saturday we celebrated grandson Kalle’s 18th birthday having a lunch at restaurant

La Famiglia.  Sadly two families were missing at the party - the other on vacation,

the other sick. In the photo my husband’s eldest daughter Sanna and her children Kalle and Noora, 

the future mother. The baby is due in November ❤︎

I have a bit shorter haircut this summer. In the lower part DH’s daughter Milla

with her husband Timo, chef by profession and he used to work at this restaurant for four years.

I bought this white Phalaenopsis for Christmas and now it is blooming again ❤︎

It is very beautiful on the kitchen window sill and fortunately the kittens let it be. 

Anyhow it is not poisonous.

I read or listen to audiobooks every night. The audiobook offer of the summer are either 

romantic novels or detective stories. I prefer the latter. I warmly recommend the thrillers of 

Alice Feeney - they are thrilling, excellent English and readers are outstanding.

Hildur by Finnish Satu Rämö took me to exotic Iceland. Satu is married to an Icelandic guy 

and lives at the moment in Northern Iceland. Earlier Satu has written many non fiction books 

about Iceland. Then I found Spanish María Oruña’s detective stories and am now

listening to the first one.

Wishing you wonderful & sunny July days!

🌞🌞

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Third vaccination!

I have been avoiding shopping centres lately, but this morning we went to one to have our third 

Pfizer Covid vaccination. It was six months from our second. But now 65 years and older 

and younger risk groups get their third vaccination at three months’ interval.

There are of course many big shopping centres in Helsinki region,

but I don’t really like them. This is Jumbo Shopping Centre, located in Vantaa, 

alongside the Ring III road, close to Helsinki-Vantaa airport. 

It is modern and the Christmas decorations were fresh and beautiful.

Now we can breathe with more calm, because the Omicron is spreading furiously.

Merry and healthy Christmas!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#der natur donnerstag #gartenglück #how to survive november #image-in-ing #krapu 

#makrotex  #my corner of the world #tuesday's treasures 

Light in the Darkness

This might seem to be some pagan worship, but no.

It is a Reflektor Light Art Festival!

Last weekend I went to experience this fantastic light art festival near my home. The route was a few kilometres and the crowd walked on pitch-dark routes in the middle of an old forest. But not scary though, there were a lot of families with kids and dogs :) Reflektor Light Festival originates from Denmark. In Copenhagen the festival was organized from 2016 to 2017, in Helsinki last autumn and now in cooperation with the City of Vantaa. The quality of mobile photos is not great, but just to give you an idea of this magical experience.

"In the Nordic countries, we share a certain sensitivity and aesthetics with regard to light and darkness - something that is deep within our culture and connected to the changing seasons. We use light art to create shared, yet intimate experiences for the widest audience, and showcase how light art in public spaces can transform familiar places into exploratory and sensual, multi-dimensional experience,.”- curator Christina Dvinge from Denmark.

The visual effects of this tunnel were flowing, and a space music filled the air.

The patterns and colors of this full moon were changing constantly.

"The power of light art is based on darkness, and Reflektor creates an interesting contrast between nature and the urban environment. Dark forest usually only gets its light from the starry sky, but with the light art, the atmosphere of familiar jogging landscapes becomes magical."

THE ARTISTS

Finland: Meri Ekola, Sampo Aatos, Jere Suontausta, SWÄG collective, Arttu Nieminen and Ultraviolet Gallery 

Denmark: Jakob Kvist 

Sweden: Sofia Ivarsson

*****
Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland

// WILLY-NILLY    // DER NATUR-DONNERSTAG

Strolling Along the Local River

I love to stroll along the banks of this Kerava river. Late July most wild flowers 

were on their way to withering, but I spotted a good variety of them.

The air was sweet of the fragrance of Filipendula ulmaria, turning brown...
The colouring was yellowish, August-like...

... Tanacetum vulgare ...

... some Calamagrostis ...

... Matricaria chamomilla ...

... Centaurea jacea, some Solidago ...

... a lot of Chamaenerion angustifolium ...

... Cirsium heterophyllum ...

I'm so greatful and happy that I can walk again. Last year in July
I used wheel chair after my bad ankle fracture. It took 10 months until
I could walk properly. The ankle has cured well, only going downstairs the stairs
the ankle is stiff and causes a bit trouble. But I don't complain!

// WANDERING CAMERA
// NATUR-DONNERSTAG 
// LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY

// THANKFUL THURSDAY

Strolling in my Neighbourhood

I had my daily walk early this morning when it was still cool & took some photos.

I enjoyed a lot - 1,5 hours - quite impossible last summer. How great is that!

It is a mix of old houses and new & modern houses, the styles are very varied,
well maintained gardens, wild gardens...

All the colours of bright summer!

This new house has a lovely garden - I admire this trellis of Parthenocissus. 

My friend lived in this beautiful house, but she died of cancer

a few years ago. I think her daughter lives now in the house.

This is my home seen from the woods.

A lonely bunny pondering what to do this Sunday...

Not much perennial blooming, bright annuals though.
I hope you liked to stroll with me - wishing a happy Sunday afternoon!
- riitta