Sans 'X'

Sunday. A very grey day. The sky looks like it is lacking colour.
Stayed in bed late. Listened to the radio and stretched. All my limbs feel longer;)

I´m baking an applepie. I have friends coming over later today to play scrabble and drink tea and eat tarte aux pommes. My scrabble is in finnish so there is no letter x. There are no finnish words containing the letter x. Isn´t that funny?
I´m planning to buy the swedish scrabble, it is after all my mother tongue. Maybe I should get the english one aswell...but then I would come off as a HC Scrabble player. And I´m not.

A few nights ago I woke up to a bang. No a bang. No in fact it sounded like a BANG! No it was actually more like a BANG!!! My heart was beating fast and I got up to see what on earth had happened. In the hallway I saw my large and very heavy antique mirror laying on the floor. It had fallen down from the wall. First it has landed on an educational board made of cardboard, that must have bent and became a slide when hitting the newspaperbasket and nicely guided the mirror onto the floor and the rug! Amazing! It did not brake!

PS. Tarte aux pommes is ready! Voilá!

Make me dance I want to surrender

Finally it´s friday! It´s been a rather hectic week.
I´m looking forward to meeting my parents for lunch tomorrow. I´ve also been invited to a birthday party in the evening. For sunday I have no plans. And I intend to keep it that way!

I attended the annual Helsinki bookfair on my way home. Listened to a few interesting interviews, bumped into friends, bought a book and two birdprints. One of them, the great tit is pictured above. I have a thing for small ordinary birds.

It has been a beautiful sunny day. Autumn at it´s best.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

PS. Thank you so much for all your support regarding my apartment hunt.

I´m listening to Belle and Sebastien.

I know now what I want

I returned to Helsinki last night.
I saw some beautiful apartments with high ceilings, wooden floors, tilestoves, small gardens, lovely streets.
I did place a bid on a beautiful apartment. Up until the near end I was the highest bidder, but then an investment banker placed a bid I had absolutely no chance in winning. I try not to be dissapointed, this is reality in apartment/ house hunting. But I have to admit I did feel dissapointed. I was so close!

I try to think that at least I know what I want. I just need to get it right. Once.

Thank you for all your support once again. You´re the best. And of course I´m going to find a home I´m fully satisfied with. It just takes a little longer than I wish for...

Wooden floors, tilestoves, high ceilings...

...is what attracts me now. And that is why I´m taking a train to a nearby town to look at a few apartments in soon 100 year old wooden houses.
If any of the apartment take my fancy, then I´m ready to move from Helsinki. I have been flathunting all weekend, it has been hectic and none are the kind I want. They are small and dark and near busy roads or in such a state I will need a fortune to employ builders. Or simply far to expensive for me.

I shall also tell you more about what we do in my knitting group when I have returned. I´ll be back on tuesday. Take care dear friends.

Knitting ladies, tea and Tarte Tatin

I´ve had a wonderful evening with my knitting ladies.
My applepie or rather Tarte Tatin was a success, believe me the marzipan makes a difference. My mother has made the same tarte with pears, ah, heavenly.
We drank plenty of tea and chatted and knitted (I crochet, I´m still working on my grannysquares, seems like an endless project) and laughed.

Lovely evening.

Who Knows Where The Time Goes

I did indeed visit my doctor yesterday and I fell asleep again. After the acupuncture treatment I drank my tea whilst listening and looking at him talking to me and felt very content. He always ends with a warm relaxing massage, heavenly. I just smiled, thanked him and said my "until next week" and I recall his very gentle face and his smile. Ah bless.

Busy trying to find an apartment. One that I found yesterday was sold this morning, the one I am very interested in has been pulled off the market and more news will be availbale next week, so found another one today but it´s slightly too expensive for me:(

Tomorrow I´m meeting up with my knitting group. Great! They are coming to my home and I´m planning to bake. An applepie. The secret is a thin layer of marzipan placed underneath the appleslices. Delicious. And served with tea it is heavenly!

I sold one of my Tolix chairs. It found a new home today. I need to sell some of my belongings as I will have to move to a much smaller aprtment and me plus all my stuff will not fit. So it´s either storage for my stuff and I sleep in the garden shed, or I find new homes for my treasures and live with less stuff. I chose the later option. Luckily I´m not attached to my stuff...well, there are a few things that I feel I really want to take with me to my new home.
I also try to think that this is a journey, I can learn something. Ok, I know this sounds all mush-mush, but hear me out first. I heard of this art-project called "journey to mars" (or something like that - my apologies if I got it wrong). I believe it is somehow based on the film Avatar, which I haven´t seen. Apparently the film is about this lovely planet and the residents of the planet live in peace and harmony, then humans arrive and carry with them norms and habits and beliefs and make a mess of it all. That is all very human, isn´t it. We all do that. Well, in this art-project, the artists are planning what to take with them to mars where they will start a new community. Hopefully without restrictions, norms, rules, beliefs, etc. from the past, but all good things.
I thought to myself, I shall make the same journey. I shall carry with me only the things I want to take with me. I shall also try to be open and leave matters that are better left in the past, in the past. Obviously I will carry with me things I´d rather leave behind, invisible burdens I have carried for years, sadness, grief, matters I am not aware of but also a lot of hope for the future, friendships, love and all my lovely things that I will not part with! Oh no, no empty walls and minimalistic angles. It´s not me. Not yet anyway. Get back to me in 20 years or so;)


I have also tried to look for a satellite and Jupiter in the sky, they are supposed to be more visible. But the sky is all blurry, couldn´t see a single star.

Blimey, it´s already wednesday evening and time has just flown. Who knows where the time goes? I do enjoy this song. Eva Cassidy is lovely.

Missing flower

I had a very relaxing weekend. To be honest, I didn´t really do anything worth mentioning. I even travelled home in my pyjamas;) I am a rebel!

Tomorrow I´m meeting up with my doctor, he is chinese. Not that it matters what nationality my doctor is, but what I refer to with his nationality is that he has studied both chinese and western medicine. He also does acupuncture. That feels funny. I always fall asleep during our sessions. He is a very kind doctor. He speaks with a warm voice and his tone is always very caring and gentle. He has very warm eyes. And he thinks I worry too much. And that I ought to eat more warm food. Apparently eating only one warm meal per day is not enough for my body. So he recomended I should also eat soup for lunch. I enjoy the feeling that I´m his only patient... though I know he is very busy;)

Above is a metalflower that probabaly is missing from a church-candelabra.

Happy weekend!

I´m about to leave for the weekend in the countryside. I´m very much looking forward to this little brake.
It snowed today when I cykled home and I looked like the snowman when I arrived;) But it has all melted by now. I think it is far too early for snow yet. November is fine, but not yet in october:( Let´s make that END of november.

Wishing you all lovely people a wonderful weekend. Take care of yourselves.

Above is a tiny wooden horse that lives in my home. A silent and calm character. But I have started to suspect that underneath that calm surface, lies a completely different character...that perhaps comes alive at night when I´m sleeping. The reason for my suspision is that the horse can sometimes be found in places I do not recall ever having placed it;) I´m open for any other suggestions - so if you know something about this horse, please do let me know.

I shall tell you more about the clown workshop and how I succeeded. During my career I have mainly worked with a fairly serious method, the Stanislavski method and physical theatre according to Jacques Lecoq and therefor I think a little less serious could be a good thing for me. The clown workshop is also based on teachings of Jacques Lecog and the french clown tradition. So no orange wigs and large shoes here;)

Clowns and other odd characters

I did not win the bid for the apartment. There will be other apartments to bid on. Ah bless! I´m the kind of person who thinks that it wasn´t meant to be. So no reason to be dissapointed or sad. It wasn´t meant to be my home.

Above is a character of mine called Lily, I have made the mask myself many years ago for a certain theatre production. After the play, this character continued on her own little path...I have done mask-theatre for years but never done clown, which has been something I´ve dreamed of...we did have a clown course at theatre-school, but I sadly missed it due to a play I was involved in...so today I signed up for a two day long clown workshop in Stockholm for next month. I´m very much looking forward to this little journey. I might stay for a few more days. My inner-clown is desperately trying to get out;)


Thank you for your support and kind comments regarding my lace-posts. I´m happy you love lace as much as I do.

Warm kisses.

No more lace, please!

I had a lovely weekend, very busy with ONLY fun events!

Today I negotiated a mortgage for myself, later I left a bid on an apartment. I cykled home in the most beautiful landscape, the sky an amazing turqoise and fantastic background for trees in burning colours, red, orange, yellow, okra.

I know, I´m repeating myself here...perhaps not the best way to keep readers, but I seem to find great pleasure in lace, so here´s something for you: I bought myself antique lace curtains! They are loooooong, 2,6m!!!! Above is a detail of the curtains. I need to give them a gentle wash. I will hang them in my new home. Hopefully the one I left the bid for today. The apartment needs a lot of work, but that does not scare me. It is time to move on.

My apologies for my posts about lace, lace and more lace. Please have patience with me and once I get back on track I´ll be posting about other materials too;)

Excuses, excuses...

Not sure I dare to write anything about my knitting-group without photographic evidence!
I did not know whether to cry or laugh when I noticed I had left my camera at home. Last time I just forgot to take pictures (after all we were in my home and I was the hostess) but last night, I so wish I ahd my camera as we were spoiled with handmade chocolates with three different flavours, raspberry, mint and cardamom. And tea. D E L I C I O U S !

I´m still very much into lace, lace and more lace. The triangle was given to me by my art-teacher. He had found it and thought it was very much my style. He seems to know me well;) There´s a tiny detail I really love, handwritten year 1932.

Weekend just around the corner. Tonight I´m meeting my friend M. She is so so dear. Just knowing she is my friend makes me feel lucky!
Tomorrow my friend A turns 30. Huuuuge party ahead. HUGE! And I intend to have fun and mingle and dance! Let´s all have a smashing fun weekend!

Colours

Autumn is in bloom here in Helsinki. The trees are so colourful, the contrasts are sharp. I love autumn. Especially when it doesn´t rain;)

I´m trying to think visually about my new home. Unfortunately I haven´t found the apartment yet, but I try to think that it will be a light apartment and what things and colours I want to take with me.
I´m known to love colours in my home and I´m thinking white! Right now I´m very much for cream and lace and...I´m stunned! Blimey! So I´m quite excited and curious about what the outcome evetually will be. I´m going to be open for all my ideas and see what comes of that.

Last night I saw a fantastic play at the Takomo theatre called Amerikka. I do recommend this play. Makes you think. And it is so well made, the presence, the energy, the acting, the text, the visualisation, I was impressed!

Tonight I´m meeting up with my knitting-group. It does exist!!! Unfortunately we´re only going to be a few participants tonight, but I try to take pics this time. I heard a rumour there will be truffels...oh dear!

Above is one of many ex voto hearts I have managed to collect over the years. Leaning against lace pinned in an embrodery loop.

Waiting

Yesterday I travelled to where I lived as a child. I´ve never been back there since my parents sold the house many years ago. I seldom go back there in my memories. I might occasionally think about my cat. And the greenhouse. The forest and how well I knew the paths, the trees, the hills, the fields, the lake.
I did no longer recognise the landscape. I must admit I was dissapointed of the neglect I found, even a little angry.

We walked down to the shore, where we used to swim as chldren. The shore was overgrown, it was only reed. The path was almost gone. Everything was overgrown. Wilderness had taken over.

The only beauty I found was two bullfinches playing in the silverwillows along the lake.

I´m still waiting to hear about the apartment. So no news yet unfortunately.

Above is an old photo I tinted and placed inside a jar filled with dried rosepetals. I´m going to drill holes in the lid, to enjoy the jar as potpourri.

Rock!

Today I was pampered with a fantastic performance. A little boy with a small guitar. He performed to the sounds of AC/DC! His little body bent over the guitar and his body swinging to the rythm, his foot tapping, every now and then he stopped to "tune" the guitar, he also did some very specific rock moves, his mouth moving, no sound. He is autistic. And he loves AC/DC! He showed me how he also plays the drums and the piano in music-therapy. I have known him for six years. Seen how much love, beauty, joy and happiness he brings to all of us. And what a good full life he leads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h44LIiaZhHE&feature=related

Rocking weekend to all of you!

Above are some more shadows I caught on camera whilst beeing at home. I´m feeling well today. I believe I have won the flu;)

PS. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the apartment I´m hoping for will be mine to rent.