It's been cold

Most of the world is suffering hottest years ever. Not here, this tiny spot on the world map has been much colder than usually - it's only around 20 million people who have been affected (few countries).

But it means I'm hauling wood in and burning it in our wood burners - in stove, in a big heat reserving fireplace, in sauna stove and in my little constant burning fireplace. We were prepared for a cold winter and expensive electricity, it's cheaper for us this year than it was last winter, but it still takes an indecent chunk of our income. Last spring and summer I was able to save a nice sum of money, but it was all vanished by the end of the year (I know where it all went, and it was all the expenses I had saved it for). We've had some very tight years because of covid and hb's fall and injuries (he was on sick leave for few months early 2021) and of course due restrictions my income has been a bit smaller that it could've been.

But we are still on surface, not sinking.

I wouldn't mind loosing few kgs, but unfortunately my cooking keeps getting better and better. Today I made a stir fry using just ordinary cabbage (no pak choy or any other fancy named veggie), carrots and sweet pepper (and of course garlic). A slice of a cabbage head had been in the fridge for about month? and before that it was two months in my cold/cool entrance hall (a small room with only one heater fan keeping it from going near zero C) so it was about the time to use it. Sauce was made by the most simple things, soy sauce, cola, corn starch. Some seasoning and that's it. We ate it wit fettucine, not even noodles and it was so good! For teenage boys I fried some pork (freezer) but it really didn't even need that.

Today were back down to -17 decrees (celsius) and tomorrow even colder. On Tuesday evening lowest was -29. And let me tell you it is way too cold even for me. I'm quite happy 'Suma doesn't like that cold either. But the amount of cat litter...🙀

it's a new year already?

 I never seem to have enough time to write. I start and then after few weeks I find my text unpublished just lying there, forgotten.

There's been a lot. I went to see Queen- musical with hb's nephew's wife. She's nice, not my "type" if I may say so, but on the other hand, I don't do people much anyways. But she 's only one I thought might like musical like that. I loved every moment of that show, I just don't go out often to do things like that anymore. And she loved it! Perfect!

I went to see Fallen leaves, it was a special screening for our office. I quite liked the film, went there with my colleague who I knew would appreciate a Kaurismäki-film. I think this is the best film he has made so far. The film was moving, funny - it did start veeery slowly but it was worth the suspension 😁   I know many people will not get it. I loved the dog, of course. And I think it is worth mentioning than someone is able to tell a whole story in less than two hours! I will NOT go to see Killers of the flower moon, just can't cope with nearly four hour film.

Then I ate an elephant, figuratively. You know, piece by piece. I bought an armchair for my sister for her 30th birthday and she will be 35 soon. It didn't have any cover, therefore it was dirty cheap even at Ikea. I promised to sew a cover, and promised several times... At first she didn't need the chair, because they were living in a small flat and there was no room for the chair. Then they moved to my grandmother's flat (when she moved to assisted living and then to nursing home) and they might have had room for that chair, but it was nod necessity. And then she moved to the other side of the field. Finally my sister brought me a bagful of upholstery velvet in petrol green. Very pretty fabric! I draw patterns, cut pieces, made mistake and hid the evidence. Then I had to continue, because the fabric was in the middle of my dining table - it was there so that I wouldn't be able to forget it.

So I made a new cut for the piece I had cut upside down (you need to be very careful with upholstery velvet to cut it the right way... I wasn't). I sew some seams, needed to take some apart again and hide that all again. Then I put on my big girl pants and made it: seam by seam, stich by stich I made the cover and FINALLY was able to deliver it just in time for Christmas.

I made only few Christmas presents. For d I knitted a hat, mittens and socks from acrylic yarn. She can't wear wool (itchy) but acrylic is ok. Number one needed a medieval hood (not! with liripipe) and I had some leftover wool from ys's hood. Because wool fabric is very itchy, I made lining from an old bed sheet. My sister asked for dish clothes and flannel pieces to use instead of kitchen roll (I've made those for her before so she knew she could ask me to do them). So I made about 20 pieces of flannel, 12 out of christmassy print and then another dozen out of flower print. And knitted half a dozen dish clothes. Or rags, whatever.

On Christmas Day I knitted a pair of socks to os (he was wearing an old pair with holes in). Sys got a telescope and because it's cold outside he needed mittens and there was not a pair of mittens in the house that fit him! So I knitted a pair.

And then we got COLD. It's been freezing, -28 or -29 on several days. Not funny, Not funny at all. Sys complained his room was cold to sleep (it was, because he kept opening the balcony door in his room to use the telescope to see the moon and stars) so he needed another blanket. Well, I didn't have any extra, but I knew I had some squares I knitted eons ago with double yarn, found them and stiched them together. Now he has a huge and thick and WARM blanket.

Cats have a serious case of cottage fever because it's been way too cold for them to go outside. Of course little brother have tried every day to go out, but he has to turn on his heels right at the doorstep. So he's been stripping Christmas tree out of it's decorations. The tree was tied up to the ceiling so there was no danger of it to fall, but we did lost few glittery balls to 'Suma's teeth.

And the endless war on cat litter! Oh dear.

'Suma has not been able to go on for long walks. One day we made it to the post boxes but that's it. Her feet are freezing so I will not make her to go any further. It's a bit warmer in the woods, so we have managed to have some 15 min walks every day. She's so bored, even playing with Christmas tree decorations don't perk her up anymore.

November

As sad it was, it wasn't totally unexpected. My grandmother died peacefully with her daughters by her side and the funeral will be on Saturday. Just a small gathering, there isn't much older generation left, grandmother's brother will not be coming, he lives in Sweden and is too poorly to travel. Ballbearers are decided, and my mother wanted everyone to bring just one rose for grandma. There will be a heart of pink roses on the coffin, grandmother loved pink.

If pallbearers are capable - there's a lot of covid going rounds, my brother just got sick, his girlfriend is healing, all boys at home have it now (I've skipped it so far) and hb is having mild symptoms but we've run out of tests. I need to go and buy some more tests, but I have to go to the town to buy them because our shops and pharmacy had run out of tests, too. Whole school is having covid now.

We were supposed to go shopping for trousers for boys, but of course couldn't. I know grandma wouldn't mind boys going in old trousers, but they are all grown over their old trousers and they look just... ridiculous. Not shaggy, not poor, not even like Sunak with his short trousers. I don't know, if nothing changes I need to go by myself? and hope for the best. Everything else is ready.

My mother in law fainted at the nursing home, she was attending to afternoon coffee break at the communal room. Got to hospital in an ambulance, got tested and scanned - she's having some "shadows" in heart (that's what she said) but there's nothing that can/will be done. She should continue on going her daily walks and to try to be as active as possible. I know she has had her diet changed a lot during the summer because she's eating FODMAP food now and although it is good for her gut it is not good for her overall wellbeing, she's cut out a lot of vegetables and not brought any new ones to her diet. Because I'm not her daughter, so I have no say on things. Once everyone at home is cleared of covid I'll go and see her if I can find anything I can do. But, she's 90, and stubborn as ever.

(I know FODMAP is recommended by many, but it shouldn't be just cutting out unsuitable foods)

Another working trip

This last week I was away most of weekdays. 'Suma is really upset, she worries every time I move that I might just jump into car and drive off again. Poor girl.

I was in Spain, sunny and rainy Spain (the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain - in my own language it was not this phrase but completely different, but is worked the same way, taught to say words right way). I'm totally knackered, not only because each travelling day was over 10 hours (and mine wasn't even the longest). This time I talked not only English, but some Swedish, Norwegian (nynorsk), Danish (never again, I swear every time!) Spanish, Italian and... not French! I did sit next to a nice French colleague who was nice enough to talk to me in English, because French is something I just don't get. Other colleagues pointed out that it's scary they'll never now whether I understand them or not, when they are speaking their own language. But it all comes down to the fact that most European languages are all derived from same origins, Latin, Viking (ancient Swedish I think), German something. The words are similar enough for me to understand the basic meaning, so I know roughly the issue people are talking about. Nynorsk is basically written Danish, so much easier than Danish.

All my colleagues are really nice people, I hope I would met their expectations, too. I got some contacts/names for my work - I really should update my LinkedIn profile.

But now my head doesn't work at all. That may be due to flu I got after I came back home, definitely something I got from during flights. Oh well, it is not Covid (according to test). And I'm cold. But that on the other hand is mainly due to the fact it's -10C outside.

So very accurate beginning of winter time. I was planning on mushrooming today with sys (his idea), but no, not now. If it's getting any warmer, we will go for the very last time for this year. I need the silence of my forest after all that hassle.

And winter is about to be here, again

 It's 2 degrees of Celsius outside and raining heavily. Only a bit colder and rain will turn into snow. It's only matter or hours, maybe.

It's not funny. We had unusually warm September - average temperature was the same as in unusually cold July we had this year. My vegetables were on their most profilic state this week, and I had to harvest them all... Well, not all, but most. Like all beans (I have some in the polytunnel, but they will keep few more days), and most of pumpkins. I couldn't get all corn harvested before we had the first frost night last week, but it seems to be ok. For now.

Something ate all my carrots while I was away. It kindly left me all the tops, but unfortunately they were all wilted by the time I was able to take a look of what has happened. Some sort of ... big mouse? A water mole, I think. I know, I know, it has a big family to feed, too. But I would have loved to eat more of my own carrots, they were lovely.

Broad beans had grown whole new growth in September, they all had few new stalks with dozens of flowers. Such a pity :-( In summer they didn't had that much flowers.

I was again asked to get some food bank/distribution items, because they had abundance on produce and bread. I got nine bags of bread/rolls and few french loafs as well as pasties. I got lettuce, apples, plums, nectarines, beets, potatoes (why I didn't take carrots?  I knew I don't have any...) purple cauliflower etc. I made subway-type dinner that night, everyone chose their own toppings and I slightly toasted them in the owen - just to melt cheese.

Today I made jam with plums and apples and one nectarine. I just cut them into small chunks (took off  cores/stones and spoiled bits) and cooked with jamming sugar (it has pectine). It was lovely, os had spoonful and said it's nice - so it was really yummy!

I've been freezing and dehydrating mushrooms, and we have been eating them daily. Maybe next year we will not have a good mushroom year, so we try to enjoy this years abundance as much as possible.

Mil is moving in to supported living next weekend - she was signed in the queue last spring and was told it might take up to two years to be able to have a place. She has trouble hearing, is loosing her eyesight and have slight memory issues. She had her 90th birthday in September...

My grandma on the other had is put on palliative care. She's 93, and more or less blind, half deaf and has had alzheimers over 10 years. My brother went on to see her today, and sent messages that she's really poorly.  She doesn't eat or drink. She's lost her oldest son and son's only child this year (both had cancer).

We are expecting her to go in two weeks :-( 

That's how it is.

Home sweet home - for now

 I've been travelling a lot lately. Poor 'Suma is completely depressed, and I feel sorry for her and also so sad I can't avoid these travels.

I'm still afraid of flying, but I'm not tasting vomit in my mouth anymore all the time.

Someone would think it's so wonderful to be able to travel as a part of one's work, but I don't feel that way. Even though the meetings were very good, productive and funny, too. I've got lovely team mates and I really appreciate them more and more. Days are long, and my brain is still boiling over all foreign languages I had to use. I really really don't speak French.

Meanwhile at home.

Our forest neighbour sold his trees and there was a harvester working while I was away. I would have love to watch it working, but not such luck. This picture is taken along our border, some of the logs are laying partly in our land, but not a single twig was cut from our side. Now all logs have been removed so there is only the mess left. It isn't that bad, I expected it to be worse.

So - I haven't been able to do ANYTHING at veggie plot or greenhouses, and it makes me soooo fustrated. Maybe next year.

(at least I got garlics harvested, and corn is having best harvest ever, but beets are tiny and cucumbers did badly this year - and I haven't been able to check out my pumpkins, zucchinis OR beans on my plot at my sisters - only good thing is that there has been no frosts yet, which is a miracle of sorts)

A little break before the madness

 

We are on a holiday cottage for the weekend with hb's nephew and his wife. Back home tomorrow, and then on Monday I will leave 9 o'clock in the morning to a three day seminar. And next week another four day trip. 'Suma is already miserable 😔