November Cabin Trip

I was so happy when we had a chance to go to the cabin and the weather report promised good weather. It was around -15'C when we arrived at the cabin yesterday evening, though the temperature dropped down a little this morning (about -18'C). The dusk was gorgeous as well, though I didn't manage to capture a good picture of it. There was a stripe of dark reddish colour above the horizon followed by dark blue. Ahhhh...just amazing!

Thankfully this time it didn't take too long for hubby to drill the frozen lake to get some water to warm up the sauna he he he he he...we went to bed rather early, actually, but we woke up pretty early as well as a result.

Anyway, here are some photos that I took...

A pic of me lying down on the frozen lake. The cabin is right behind me. If you wonder about the angle, I only brought my small tripod with me (very handy and light), thus the weird low angle ha ha...

Another pic of me, facing the frozen lake he he...In this era, it's so darn easy to be narcissistic. Dohhhhh!!! LOL!!!

My footsteps and maybe a reindeer's tracks hmmmm...Actually correction, a friend's son took a look at the pic and said that one of the tracks is definitely a hare's and the other one is possibly a fox's tracks, but most likely the tracks of two hares.

Just having fun on the frozen lake he he...

The moon...

Lots of ice crystal pics along with their zoomed-up versions. I cropped up different sections of the ice crystal photos to give better view.

I'm gonna be busy starting tomorrow, but at the end of net week I'll have some days off, so we'll see what I can do about blog-hopping. 

The Flu Season Has Arrived

I've noticed from my FB feed that it's that time of the year again, but I hope I can avoid the bugs even though I've contracted a little bit of cough. I sure don't want to be sick! I've been trying to get enough sleep whenever I have days off (especially then) and I've been taking multivitamins as well. The weather has been exceptionally warm still considering the fact that it's already halfway through September. A friend who lives in Holland told me the other day that there was hail and even a snow flurry over there, even though the lowest temperature was still 7'C. I sure do hope that we're going to have a white Christmas here because otherwise it's gonna be SO VERY DARK then. *crossing my fingers*

Oh, one friend who lived here for a while is planning to visit us again around Christmas. I sure hope I can schedule my work shifts in such a way so that we'll be able to spend time together. Otherwise it'd be such a shame because she and her boyfriend will be here only for a few days. Let's just hope we can meet again. I can't wait!!! :-D

Anyway, last weekend we had a relaxing weekend with MIL in Kelujärvi and after sauna the half moon was hanging low in the sky. I've never seen the moon hanging so low in Indonesia. Here are two versions of the photo:

For some reason I have no inspiration to write anything else ha ha ha ha...The trees are getting barer and barer. During the weekend we managed to rake some leaves and we compiled already 3-4 sacks of dead leaves,but now our yard is covered by them again. Before I had my own yard, I never knew that raking leaves after the rain was TOUGH, but it was also tough when it was too windy outside ha ha ha ha ha...The best time to rake the leaves is when it's been dry outside, but there's not much wind, so the leaves aren't stuck to the ground.

OK, over and out...about to drink my orange ginger tea because I've been sneezing he he he...Stay healthy, people!

Bulgarian Trip #1

Going back to work after holiday is never easy. This time was especially tough 'coz I started working again by doing something completely new, something that I had received some training prior my holiday but never really got any chance to have some real practice yet. I was a bit worried about it, but thankfully my coworkers helped me, so I wasn't completely lost. Still the first day was tough and my body was very sore after the first shift was over ha ha...The second day went better and I'm thankful that today was a free day 'coz I have two weekend shifts. :-D

Anyway, let me share a few photos of our Bulgarian trip. As I had stated before, we were pretty lazy travellers this time, so we didn't really roam too much. Here are some of the things I bought:

1. A fleece jacket.
2. A pair of jeans at around €20 (at least I don't have to shorten them - in Finland I can get them cheap on a discount as well, but more often than not I have to shorten them and shortening a pair of jeans the last time around cost €10/pair).
3. A pair of relaxing pants.
4. A few types of body butter that cost double in Finland. I LOVE body butter!!!
5. A pair of polarized sunglasses at €18. 
6. Half a dozen bottles of chili sauce (local and Indonesian brand LOL!!!), emperor's rice AKA ketan hitam, Indomie (Indonesian instant noodles), and chocolate. 

We had a full-body massage twice at the hotel we stayed in (it's called Relax Holiday Complex & Spa). It was GREAT. :-D The bad thing was that there was only one masseuse, so we couldn't have the treatment side-by-side, but it's still cheap compared to the same kind of treatment in Finland (in Finland it can cost double). It cost around €30/person/hour.

I also tried billiard for the first time in my life (it cost around €2/game) he he...they had a pool table and a gym and sauna and Turkish bath in the basement floor, but we only tried billiard a few times. I laughed so much the first time I tried billiard 'coz I often miss hitting the white ball ROFL ROFL ROFL...but it was fun anyway!

Here are some pics:

Arttu's first taste of local beer on the beach nearest our hotel. We decided not to stay in a hotel directly across the beach, so in order to reach the beach (esp. the central part of Sunny Beach), we had to walk a few kilometres. I ordered a glass of fresh orange juice in the bar below that cost only €1. :-D VERY cheap!!!

Below is a sneak peek of one of the 5-star hotel along the main part of Sunny Beach. If you wonder why the photo angle is strange, it's because I didn't dare get inside the area 'coz there was a guard standing in front of the gate, so I only took pictures from above the bushes on top of the gate surrounding the hotel.

Me trying billiard for the first time in my life. Yep, that pillar next to me was quite annoying indeed he he he...

This car was parked in the yard of the nearest Zora supermarket. :-D

Found this butterfly while walking towards the beach area...

Posing in front of this Buddha statue in front of the Chinese resto. We tried eating there once and the food was quite good, but rather pricy. No wonder the place never looked full! However, the service was VERY VERY quick!!! We ordered two dishes and in about 5 minutes we could start eating already (even though I did hear the cook prepare the dishes in the kitchen). The fastest service ever in our entire time in Bulgaria!

I just thought the colours looked nice 'coz it's rare to find buildings with this colour in Finland he he...

While walking towards the beach from our hotel, look what happened below!!! We ran out of sidewalk!!! But just keep on walking...the first time around I felt a bit giddy walking there 'coz I was a bit afraid a car might hit me or something he he he...

 

A half moon and a full moon. The first beach photo was taken in the middle of the centre of Sunny Beach, whereas the second one was taken nearer our hotel at the end of Sunny Beach (actually closer to Sveti Vlas area).

We also went to an Indian restaurant once, which was again very empty. Why? I suppose it was quite expensive, as well. In my opinion, the food was OK, even though R2 thought it was great, but I think I've had better Indian food. I can't stop remembering the lovely Indian food we had in Vienna or in a small resto in Helsinki he he...

R2 swimming...the water was cool! :-D

OK, I think this is enough for now. I'll continue sharing some more photos later on. Have a blessed and relaxing weekend, people! I'll have a busy weekend at work ha ha ha...

Moon Pictures...

R2 took a few days off to match my days off with his. We were planning to go to the cabin but 'coz the temperature has been so cold and the cabin is without electricity or heater or indoor toilet, it wouldn't be too nice to spend a night there 'coz R2 will have to burn firewood over and over again during our stay there (including during the night when we sleep), so we've been spending quality time at home.

Because I have work this weekend, we went to my MIL's place today already and over there I took a few pics. Here they are...temperature was around -27'C, photos taken at around 2 pm.

Moon, Thou Art Shining So Brightly Tonight!

Hi, everybody!

Hope your weekend has been fine. I think tomorrow I may need more nap since I couldn't take a nap yesterday, so I'd better write this post today than tomorrow he he...Before I begin, let me just share some pictures that I took a while ago with my mobile. Since I didn't have any USB cable to connect my mobile with my computer, I had to send them to Arttu's mobile first ha ha ha...

First pic: Heavily-pregnant Arttu HA HA HA HA...Gee, I hope he won't kill me if he finds out that I put up this pic hi hi hi...but it was too funny to keep by myself HO HO HO...




The other pics were taken only the other day when I walked back home from school. I went to Lidl and when I came out from there, I saw a plane making a VERRRRYYYYYY long smoke tail. It was breathtaking since it was also a sunny day and there was a half moon in the sky. Don't believe me? Take a look at these three pics. I couldn't possibly take everything into one single picture, esp. since I took it with my mobile, but you'll get the idea he he he...








Tonight there's a 3/4 of a moon shining so brightly in the sky. I noticed that it was especially bright when I walked out of my in-laws' house. As some of you know, they have a HUGE field, so I was taken aback when I realized how bright the moon was. During those moonless nights, whenever we walked outside of their house in the dark winter evenings, it was really almost pitch dark outside. Ahhhh...I LOVE moments when I can truly enjoy the beauty of nature he he he...

Anyway, I won't write much here (I PROMISE HI HI HI HI...) so let me just leave you with a message that you've probably read somewhere in the internet, but it's a very good one, so here goes:

Simple Guidelines For Happiness:

1. Free your heart from hate.

2. Free your mind from worry.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.


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Tagged Once More! LOL!

Angela May tagged me to share 8 more things about myself, but I won't tag anyone else he he...

1. I HATE Tweety. I hope Sylvester eats him alive. Sylvester's SO CUTE!!! Well, I once saw an episode where Sylvester did eat Tweety, then there was another bird to subtitute Tweety, but I don't remember well anymore what happened next.

2. My Dad was introduced to my Mom via a friend. They dated for about 6 months and then decided to get married within another 6-month-period. Dad was 34 years old and Mom was 32 years old when they were married.

3. I was born exactly 10 months (to the date) after they got married, so I can remember their wedding day so easily. ;-D

4. When I was a kid, I was sort of my little brother's protector. Back then he was so small (boys grow up later than girls before teenage years) and he cried a lot, so I was his Xena. *tee-hee* OK OK, it's a hyperbole, but you know what I mean. ;-D

5. I once saw a halo in the sky when I was around 10-11 years old. Back then I didn't know what it was, but it just looked SO lovely. A HUGE ring in the sky at night. Ahhhhh...I still remember looking up for a LONG time that night and felt amazed.

6. Once I went to the next alley to do something (I'd always lived in an alley all my life before I moved here) during the night when I looked up and saw something that was as big as the moon and was as bright and round as the moon. However, I noticed something different. I stopped walking and the round object moved SO FAST in the sky!!! I ran home as I was SO scared (I think I was around 8 years old back then). I knew the moon couldn't have moved that fast!!! Until now, I don't know what it was. Will someone enlighten me, please? ;-D

7. One time I was so head over heels with someone. I called him almost every day just to talk about anything. I wanted to get to know him SO badly. I was obsessed!!! I kept talking about him to my female friends hi hi hi hi...Yep, girl talk!!!

8. My longest phone record was a 5,5 hour non-stop call. I remember when I made that call. I just came back from Finland in 2004 (my first trip alone to Europe), so I had to call somebody to tell her EVERYTHING about my trip. I ended up calling one of my closest friends and we talked THAT long (until almost dawn). *tee hee* Only after that did I unpack my bags and sleep. YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!! ;-D That's what friends are foorrrrr...LOL!!!