3BT: Random Days

1. Had a lovely Indian head massage for free because MIL bought me a voucher for that as a Christmas gift. Bless her and the masseuse!

2. Walking back home from the massage with stars twinkling above me and snow particles twinkling below my feet. Dark blue sky in the background and snowy trees. This is such a beautiful place!

3. Making this dessert, though I modified the recipe a little. :-D

4. Watching this brilliant ice skating performance:



5. Watching some beautiful sky when the temperature was cold outside (the purplish photos were taken on Sat at -27'C and the pinkish sky photos were taken on Sunday at -30'C). 

6. Compiling four video clips into one: 

Cabin Trip Easter 2012

After work on Thursday we went to the cabin. The day started off sunny but then it got cloudy during the afternoon. We arrived at the cabin at around 4 pm and this time we had no trouble walking on thick snow 'coz it had condensed in many parts and became harder (compare it with Cabin Trip Feb 2012). There were tracks of cross-country skis in many places.  

I forgot to note the temperature that day, but it was probably around 3'C under the sun and closer to 0'C after it got cloudy.

Here are some cloud pics...I LOVE taking pics of different cloud formations ha ha... 

This is what the view on the frozen lake when we had just arrived there...

 

Zooming in on the above pic...

Then the dark clouds shifted and here was what it looked like...

Another view of the lovely clouds...

After taking those pics, we tried clearing the path towards the lake before we could get some water for sauna (not drinking water). Then R2 had to get some water, so again he had to do hard work to make a hole in the thick ice. At around 6 pm the sky got so dark again and snowstorm came. It probably lasted for about half an hour or an hour at most, then we enjoyed a very nice view of sunset at around 8 pm (click to view it in a bigger version).

After the sun went down, the sky was filled with stars!!! And a full moon! :-D

At around 5 am I woke up to pee in the outdoor toilet and I saw the HUGEST orange moon ever (I took a short video clip of it but I haven't converted it yet). The orange moon was dangling so low in the sky as it was about to set. I've never seen the moon that low and that huge and that orange before...just amazing!!! I tried taking pics of it but it didn't turn out great (it only looked yellow and it looked small). But anyway, this is a very lame pic of the setting moon...

I'm telling ya that the real deal was more orange than that. I just wish you could all see it for yourself...but anyway...here is why we had to clear up the path before we could get some water. Pic taken when we were on the way back to the car...

Yep, the sun was shining SO brightly on Friday and it was so warm. :-D Here's one other random pic I took when I was there...

OK, now I still have plenty of things to do...wishing you Happy Easter and for those who don't celebrate it...then hope you've all enjoyed a longer weekend! :-D :-D :-D

Beautiful Weekend

Friday was the epitome of many wonderful things wrapped in one whole day. First of all, I got to end my shift earlier 'coz we had some extra help from young students/trainees who are getting to know different work environments, so I didn't have anything much to do. Thus they allowed me to go back home earlier. I mean, why would they want to keep me there and pay me extra for doing nothing, anyway?

The day just got better and better 'coz I then received my paycheck and I noticed online that I had indeed got the amount in my bank account, so I moved some of it right away to our savings account. Then I baked very delicious Mexican pizzas for us (bought the frozen ones from my workplace and they turned out to be the best frozen pizzas I've ever tasted). After that we took a nap together and after that I could catch up with some TV series I had not had time to watch earlier.

Then I got news from my Mom that it seemed that my Dad would definitely be back home again the next day (Saturday morning Indo time), so my heart got more and more relaxed. Then at around midnight, I got an SMS from a friend, telling me that Northern Lights were outside. I ran outside as quickly as possible 'coz I didn't want to miss the show (I had been told that the show wouldn't last too long). Nothing. A few years ago my other friend told me about this, but when I got out, I saw nothing, so Friday was the FIRST time EVER for me to see Northern Lights here (FYI, I've lived here for almost 4 years now).

glitter-graphics.com

Anyway, I waited and waited...still nothing...I ran back inside to the second floor to look outside from the bedroom windows, but I saw nothing much except a little light from the horizon, but I couldn't see it clearly 'coz there are so many tall trees around me and also some houses, so I ran back outside and waited.

About a minute or two later, the show started. I was expecting green lights, but they were actually whitish. I wasn't sure at first if what I saw were Northern Lights or clouds, but they couldn't have been clouds 'coz the form kept on changing (not moving the way clouds did, mind you). It was right on top of my head, so my neck got very sore after a while ha ha...The Northern Lights kept on dancing around, moving forms among the stars. There were SO many stars that night in the sky.

One time I saw this HUGE birdlike form that stayed that way for at least 15 seconds before it changed form again...and just as it was changing form, I saw a SHOOTING STAR!!! WOAAAHHH!!! It was just MY DAY!!!

I stayed for a while, admiring the dance of the Northern Lights, but I just couldn't stand like that too long anymore in the cold 'coz I wasn't really properly dressed when I ran out. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed God's work or art again: the starts, the Northern Lights, the shooting star. What more could I expect to end my already beautiful day? Nothing.

Then on Saturday I got an SMS from Mom again, telling me that my Dad has indeed got back home. They went to a nutritionist first to make sure that THE EXPERT told Dad on what NOT to eat and what to eat, 'coz whenever he hears my family try to remind him NOT to eat some things, he'd get angry/upset. BUT he is more obedient if a doctor tells him what NOT to eat. So my Mom felt it was worth it to pay the nutritionist to get an advice (they paid about 20 Euros). So now Dad's recuperating at home and yesterday we spent time with my in-laws and as usual we played cards and I won twice out of 4 games - the last game I won, I got the highest score of all time!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D

Now here I am, starting a new week with a smile...Sorry I haven't been blog-hopping so much 'coz I've had a busy week at work. I may blog-hop properly only tomorrow 'coz I have a free day tomorrow.

First Wedding Anniversary: Starry, Starry Night!

Venue: My parents-in-laws' cabin. No electricity. We lit the fireplace, some candles, and an oil lamp. Dates: November 2nd - 3rd, 2007. Occasion: First Wedding Anniversary.

Food: Hamburger and sausages, cooked in the fireplace.

Drinks: Cold cider and plain water.

Music: Anything the radio played that night.

Temperature: Around -5'C to -9'C. (I got out a few times to pee in the outdoor toilet)

Bonuses: A box of Praline chocolate, a VERY starry night sky, and a crescent.

Note: It was an AWESOME sight! The cabin was located far away from city lights so the stars were prominent in the sky. I didn't know that the stars could be seen even very low above the horizon. There were literally tens of thousands or probably a million stars that I could see everywhere I turned!!! Gosh!!! I almost wanted to throw a sleeping bag on the ground and just camp there under the stars he he he...

Magical Moments:

1. Hubby gazed at me for a LONG time as though he was looking at me for the first time, with lovey-dovey eyes. Mmmmm...*drool*

2. Se on salaisuus. It's a secret. *wink* Too personal to tell here HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...

3. Having enough quality time with my hubby. We talked about our rough plans for the future. I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same track. We also talked about the past, about last year's wedding and honeymoon. We both agree that this year is DEFINITELY MUCH better than last year. ;-D

4. Gazing at the stars whenever I came out to pee in the outdoor toilet. Mmmmh...I kept on turning my head round and round and round and there was no spot in the sky that wasn't covered by the stars. Amazing!!! Then when I came out the second time, I saw a crescent in the sky along with the stars. My, my, my!!!

5. My mother-in-law has already planned to give me something for my upcoming birthday on November 29th. BLESS HER HEART!!!! How can I not love that woman? ;-D She was going to give me some money for a haircut he he he...Hubby helped me explain to her that I wasn't planning on cutting my hair yet as I wanted long hair to help warm up my ears during winter. ;-D

6. Receiving so many anniversary well-wishes from family, friends, blogger friends. ;-D

Here are some pics:

We arrived at the cabin at around 9 pm. We arrived in Kelujärvi already at 6 pm, but then Arttu had to go to the cabin first to warm it up. He got back after a while and then we played some cards after drinking coffee and eating some buns (we = me, Arttu, and my mother-in-law). The sky DID look GORGEOUS like that in the morning (I took the first pic at around 7.20 am).


The below pic was taken right when we arrived at the cabin. It was pitch dark already by then.


Ta-daaaa....here I am eating sausage ha ha ha ha ha ha...


The below pic was taken at around 7 am. It was so foggy.


This crescent pic isn't too clear. Next time I'd better bring my tripod 'coz there are just some things I can't capture well without it.


The sun was shining brightly at around 10 am. We were preparing to leave the cabin to go back to my in-laws' place to enjoy breakfast there.


Me posing in front of the semi-frozen lake in front of the cabin he he...


This is the inside of the cabin. Yes, we had to cram ourselves by sleeping on that single bed he he he he he...Right on to the right side is a long table, then you can see the two single beds, and two fireplaces on the left side. The open fireplace is no longer used.




The below pic was taken in summer. I posted it here so you can see the other side of the cabin. Yeah, as you can see, one of my most fave spots on earth is Arttu's lap he he he he he he...


Arttu had to scrape ice layer from our car windows. Our car was covered by a thin layer of ice.


This below video isn't too clear, but you can at least see what we did with the burger steaks ha ha ha ha ha...

3BT: August 13, 2007

1. Being missed by one of my cousins whom I haven't met since a few years ago he he he he...

2. My own homemade strawberry bread pudding without following any particular recipe and it turned out good. YUM YUM...

3. Having managed to get rid of my laziness and get my ass off my chair to exercise with Billy Blanks. YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!!! ;-D

4. Remembering my ex home (by writing down the post about security blanket and browsing through some of the old pics I brought to Finland) made me feel warm. ;-D That used to be my home and now my home is here with my hubby. Home sweet home. ;-D

Additions:

5. Stars in the sky. The nights have gotten so dark nowadays (as opposed to Midnight Sun during summer), so we can see the stars clearly. YAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!

6. Holding hands with my hubby while watching movies. MMMMMM...To think that death may come tomorrow to get me, it makes the moments feel MUCH more intense and yummy. ;-D

7. Physical pain. For when we are able to feel physical pain, then we are able to detect early on what's wrong with us.