Being Happy...

I've been thinking a lot about the meaning of the word happiness recently. We all claim to want it even though a lot of the time we are not quite sure what it actually means. And most of us don't even take the time to think about it properly.

Even if we do, how much of our own individual happiness is within our own control? Of course some things in life happen as a result of our own decisions, but a lot of the time we are just reacting to things we have no control over at all. It's because of this that the concept of happiness can often seem illusive.

A wise person said to me recently that the trick was to distinguish between those things we could change and the things that we can't. Once we have done that, happiness can best be achieved by learning to accept the things we can't change and doing something about the things we can. At the very least it's a good starting point.

I've also learnt that being wise does not mean being old. This evening I encountered true happiness right next to me at the kitchen table. It involved Minttu, a chocolate ice cream and lots of mess. And that's all. Which means that sometimes the solution can be a lot simpler than at first it may seem. Ice cream anyone?

Spring Arrives in Somero

At last. After what seems like a millennium, we can see the grass again. And the roads and the rooves and the hills. Hurray. The snow is finally melting.

And to celebrate the beginning of spring, our very own squirrel is back to party in the garden. (don't take any notice of the date on the photo...I'm using Cameron's camera and the date was set wrongly).

Only one thing for it. Heat up the sauna, get some cold drinks and go and sit outside. Just because we can. My neighbour Anne and I have decided to sit in the sauna and put the world to rights. I'll let you know how we get on...

Somero Seikkailu Two

It poured with rain most of today, but far from being a bad thing, almost the whole of Somero is happy as it means the end of the snow. Finally.

I have to admit that when you have lived more years abroad than in Finland, April can be a very tricky month to come to terms with. My good friend Jane, who lives in Strasbourg, says that this week it has been 25 degrees there. We are up to about 8 degrees, but it would be a lie to pretend I'm not jealous of Jane. I am.

By the way...a date for your diaries. Somero will hold the second "Somero Seikkailu" (like an Amazing Race around Somero) on Saturday 8th June. It is open to anyone who would like to join in. Participants arrive by car and are given a passport in which to collect stamps from different destinations around Somero. At each place there is an activity to complete and there are several pitstops offering coffee and cakes or a place in which to eat a picnic.

At the end of the day all participants who have a certain number of stamps in their passports can enter into a draw to win various prizes. It was great fun last year, and the event is expected to be bigger this time round, so if you are already in Somero, or planning to visit some time, this would be a great weekend to join in.

Unfortunately Luca (now a big boy at five years old) decided this week to steal my camera and then "drop" it, the result being that it no longer works, so no picture for today, but I hope to have the camera back to working order asap.

Wishing you all a happy end of the week. The weekend is on the way.....

Silence

The house is quiet. It is half past ten at night and I can't hear anything apart from the tapping of my fingers on the keyboard and the odd creak from the central heating. One of my friends told me a while back that he does not like the sound of silence and I remember thinking how sad that was. I think that silence is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

It's an odd thing tonight though, because I have no idea what to say. I have a thousand thoughts going round in my head this evening but none of them will come out coherently. I guess when that is the case, it is best just to be honest and accept that the writing can wait until tomorrow.


Instead, I wanted to post these two pictures of "Häntälän Notkot" for my two good friends Kari and Marja-Leena who live in Somero but are currently visiting their daughter in Germany. They introduced me to the Häntälä Hills last year in the summer when they were covered with flowers, so I thought that maybe they would like a reminder of what they look like at the moment...with the warmer weather just around the corner.

Have a safe trip back from Germany, and let's look forward to the flowers appearing once again in a few weeks time.....

Reasons to Smile

Just had this conversation....

"How's it going?"
"Not sure really. Just one of those days...."
"Anything bad happened?"
"No..."
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired."
"Not sleeping?"
"Not much..."
"Anything exciting been happening?"
"No."
"You?"
"Me neither."
"Oh."
(Sigh).

"Guess we have to hope something good happens tomorrow then."
"We've been saying that for several years."
"Well at least we haven't given up hope yet..."
"I think I might have..."
"No. You're not allowed to. You've got to keep thinking positive."
"We've been saying that as well...."
"Because you know it's true."
"I suppose so.."
(Both sigh)

"Well I guess I'd better go to bed now then."
"Tired?"
"Very."
"Me too."
"I hope you sleep better tonight."
"You too."
"Maybe tomorrow something incredible will happen."
"Yeah. Maybe."
"Let's just keep believing that."
"OK."
"Talk tomorrow then."
"Yeah. Talk tomorrow."
"Bye."
(Both laugh)

Because no matter what challenges life may throw at you....real friends are always ready to share its journey with you. Thank God for friendship. Wishing you all a better tomorrow....

Kerrankin Suomeksi....(in Finnish for once...)

Kello on puoli yksi yöllä enkä saa taas kerran unta. Talo on hiljainen enkä kuule muuta kuin kolme vuotias Niko poikani joka kuorsaa tyytyväisesti huoneessani.

Lauantaina sato vettä melkein koko päivä. Englannissa sade ei ole normaalisti juhlanaihe koska siellä sataa niin paljon ympäri vuoden. Mutta minusta tämän viikonlopun sade täällä Somerolla on ollut toivon merkki että ehkä kevät on sittenkin viihdoin tulossa tänne Somerolle.

Muita merkkejä myös löytyy. Orava tulee taas päivittäin meidän puutarhan puuhun, linnut laulavat iltaisin myöhään  ja yön pimeys ei tule kuin vasta sen jälkeen kuin meidän pienet lapset ovat jo nukkumassa. Nurmikko alkaa paljastua lumen alta ja tuntuu siltä, että kevät on oikeasti jo nurkan takana.

Teeriharjun päättäjäiset tarkoittaa myös Esakallion avajaiset. Se on varma asia, että ensi perjantaina paikka tulee olemaan ihan täynnä kun tanssijat ympäri maata tulevat juhlimaan uuden tanssikauden alku.

Meidän perheessä on ollut viime vuoden aikana paljon haasteita ja myös isoja muutoksia. Mutta pitkän odotuksen jälkeen nyt minulla ja lapsilla on ihana uusi koti, huonekalut ovat viihdoinkin paikalla, musiikki soi ja olohuoneessa tanssitaan. Tässä talossa olemme päättäneet pitää kiinni toivosta että jotain vielä parempaa on jossain vaiheessa tulossa.

Tiedän että melkein jokaisessa perheessä on omat haasteet olemassa. Juuri sen takia on tärkeä löytää ne aurinkoiset hetket sieltä mistä niitä saa. Toivon teille kaikille aurinkoa tulevalle viikolle, sekä henkisesti että kirjaimellisesti - erityisesti rakkalle ystävällemme Anjalle joka on ollut minulle kuin vara äiti lapsuudesta lähtien. Halauksia  ja voimia sinulle. Kyllä ne aurinkoiset päivät alkaa jo näkyä. Nyt kuin uusi viikko taas alkaa, pidetään juuri siitä ajatuksesta lujasti kiinni.

Somero Rain

The Somero swans have arrived...welcome back!

I have never been so glad to see the rain as I was yesterday. In the UK it rains so often that it is not something I ever celebrated there, but this weekend the rain in Somero was a sign of the end of winter and the snow starting to melt. At last.

I know that many Finns are desperate for the start of warmer weather after our long winters and I am more impatient than most in this regard. For our family though, I think the start of spring and summer
this year has a special significance. The last twelve months has been full of so many challenges and difficult times, that this year I see the melting of the snow as a new start for all of us and the hope of happier times ahead.

Every day this week I have been looking out for new signs of spring. In the last few days the squirrels have come back to the garden,  several pheasants have strolled down the road and many of the rooves are now clear of snow. I am now waiting to be able to see the grass in our garden for the first time.

For the dancers in Somero, another sign of spring is the fact that the Teeriharju winter season is now over and Esakallio will open again from next Friday. Still a few weeks before we can swim in the lake, but we are definitely moving in the right direction. Before then, bring on the rain. After all, rain is supposed to bring good luck with it. I have never hoped that is true more than now.

Spring in Somero?

I hesitate to say this...given that it is already mid April and spring should have come ages ago...but today it actually looked as though spring was in the air here in Somero.

There is still far too much snow on the ground, but some of it is actually melting. At last.  A group of pigeons had found a puddle to splash in, and there were places in the river where you could actually see water as opposed to ice.

I don't mean to sound bitter, but I have to admit that I am not only ready for spring now, I would be quite happy if someone announced that tomorrow was the start of summer. I can hardly wait to dress the little ones in shorts and a t-shirt instead of the four hundred layers they require at nursery each day.

Still, the blue skies have done a lot to lift everyone's spirits this week and we are all living in hope that the snow will soon be gone for good this winter.

With snow still on the ground it's hard to believe that Finnish schools break up next month for their summer holidays. Or in fact that summer will ever come at all.

But we live in hope. The boys have got their bikes out this week, I have abandoned my winter jacket and I told Manu that he absolutely wasn't allowed to go skiing on the lake anymore in case he fell through.

Hard to believe right now that the lake will ever be warm enough to swim in, but I am assured that summer WILL come. And believe me, here in Somero we will remember to relish every minute of it.

Happy Birthday Luca!

I know it's the oldest cliché in the world...but sometimes it really is amazing how quickly time passes.
Today was Luca's fifth birthday, and I can hardly believe that it is already five years since he was born.

We were still living in France at that time and I remember thinking that if I ever gave birth again, then it would NOT be in France. If the French can make something complicated, then they do. This is not good when you are pregnant or giving birth, both of which are already complicated enough. At least that was once resolution that I stuck to.

Much has happened since then of course. As well as his older brothers and sisters Luca has also been joined by Niko (3) and Minttu (20 months). And Luca considers himself to be the boss of them both, although neither of them are quite so sure about this arrangement.

Luca used to be a very reserved little boy, but he laughs more than he used to these days. Except of course when he is wearing his Fireman Sam outfit. He takes his firefighting duties very seriously. In fact he won't even let Niko sing the Fireman Sam song because "he is not a proper fireman."

When I asked him what he liked about Somero he told me that the best thing about it was the fact that we had a "chocolate river". (For those of you from outside Somero, the river often looks to be a brown colour because of the clay riverbed).

Anyway, Luca celebrated in style this afternoon with presents and chocolate muffins. He also marked the occasion of his fifth birthday by learning for the first time to pronounce the letter "r" in Finnish, which is not that easy, for anyone who has never tried it.

I hardly dare guess what is likely to happen in the next five years, but I am quite sure that by the time Luca is ten our family will have some more stories to tell.   One thing is for certain, in our family life is never boring.

Please...Not MORE Snow......

This is the view from our new kitchen window. Very calming and picturesque. Except for one thing. IT IS SNOWING AGAIN. Nooooooooo!

Of course this shouldn't be a huge surprise given that we live in Finland, but come on, it is mid April now. ENOUGH!

I have been told at least a hundred times this week that spring is coming. What I want to know is, when?

I guess all we can do is live in hope. And that's the one thing that we should try not to lose. However dark the skies may seem some time. Hope is the one thing that makes tomorrow worth waking up for. And who knows? Maybe tomorrow the sun will shine, the birds will be singing, Cameron will have a shower, Lucie will do her homework and I will get to feel the way I felt at midnight last Friday night. Which was good. If you were there then you know why. Have a nice week everyone. Wishing you all sunshine wherever you are. And no more snow.

How Much is Twenty Euros?

What would you do with twenty euros? Today my family spent more than that eating a sandwich in a cafe. I then spent almost the same amount in the carwash. In Finland twenty euros could also buy you half a haircut, two and a half packets of cigarettes or about three magazines.

In the developing world it could provide enough food for a family for a week. Yet today 17,000 children will die because they do not have enough to eat. That is so wrong that there are no words to describe it. There is enough food in the world to prevent a single case of starvation, yet we look out for ourselves so much that we still haven't come up with a system that will make this happen.

And at the same time I get posts on my Facebook page saying things like "British taxes for British people...stop foreign aid." Would the people who post trash like this be saying that if it were their children who were about to die this evening? I doubt it.

I am lucky enough to have many friends who care about issues like these. I also know the majority struggle with knowing what to do. The result is that many people who genuinely care still don't do anything. That is wrong too. I strongly believe that each of us should find a way to make a contribution, however challenging that may seem.

Today I am asking you a favour. Let's make a start this weekend. Most days 300-400 people read this blog. Sometimes it's more than 1000. Please, if you are one of them and you have twenty euros you can spare - give it to an organisation who can make it work. And do it today. Together that will be a lot of money and will go towards helping a lot of people. (I just have).

Finns can do this easily. Just text the word "LAHJA" to the number 16499 and your €20 will go to the hungry through kirkonulkomaanapu.

I don't believe that a single person reading this will go to bed hungry this evening. Please, let those of us lucky enough to be in that position do something CONCRETE this weekend to ensure that a few more people in the world have enough to eat. There is little we can achieve on our own, but together we genuinely can change the world. That's it. Thank you.

Life's What You Make It

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift. That's why its called "the present".

Kristopher Washington posted this saying in a comment he made on the last post on this blog a couple of days ago.  I don't know where you are writing from Kristopher, but thank you for reminding us all to live for the moment.

Sometimes, when everything around seems to be out of control, and often perhaps not the way we would choose them to be, it can be a challenge to remember that life remains what we choose to make it. At least once you get past the age of about three.

At 20 months old, Minttu doesn't seem to have this problem at all. She takes life for what it is. Laughs when she is happy, screams when she is angry and dances when the mood takes her.  Which is often.

Made me think that perhaps she's got the right idea, and its us adults who twist everything round the wrong way and forget to appreciate the moment.  So bearing all this in mind, if you have no plans for this evening, put on a pink bib, stuff your face with spaghetti and have a good laugh. Or at least put some music on and dance. As Kristopher said, the present is a gift. Let's remember not to throw it away.

Fire, Water and our New Home

After the last six months of living in a temporary home, today the move to our new house was finally over and here we are. It feels like a brand new start for all of us.

A couple of years ago our family spent the whole summer in Ecuador, where many families had very little, especially in terms of things we take for granted. That summer left a lasting impression on me in many ways, but one of the things I remember the most, is that when we got back to Finland I learnt to appreciate clean drinking water from the tap in a different way, because most water in Ecuador has to be bought and transported home.

I was reminded this week about how lucky we are to have once again. One of my oldest and closest friends, Jean Hall, has just returned from an inspirational trip where she led a group of thirty geology students from Newcastle University to Borneo. In just three weeks they managed to provide a water supply to fifty households. I can't tell you how proud I am of her, as it is because of the hard work of this group and that more than two hundred people now have water for the first time. Many of us talk about wanting to make a difference, but Jean has actually succeeded in doing it. I find that inspirational.

As for us, the house we have moved into is not a huge one, but after six months of living in a fairly uninspiring flat, I cannot tell you how much we appreciate being here. Even though the rooms are not enormous, the house still feels spacious in comparison to where we have come from.

Of course it's all still in chaos. Half the furniture is in the wrong place, I don't think we will ever manage to get the wardrobe up the stairs and there will probably still be things in boxes at Christmas. But none of that matters. We are here, we have a new home and the chance of a new start for our rearranged family.

So to celebrate this fact, after a week of almost never-ending packing and moving and cleaning, this evening I decided to close my eyes to the boxes and the chaos. I lit up our tree of hope outside the house, and inside am sitting looking at the open fire and some candles. And I have been reminded to appreciate our drinking water every time I go to the tap.

So, next time you take a drink of water, please raise a glass to my friend Jean, her students and the "doers" in the world like her. Now that our search for a home is over, I hope that our family will also find a way this year to make a difference. Somewhere, somehow. I'll let you know how we get on . Cheers Jean!

Catch the Somero Bugg

Kati and Jones

No, I'm not talking about vomiting, flu or repeated trips to the toilet. I am talking about the opportunity we had over this weekend in Somero to learn the dance called the "Bugg."

You may be wondering what earth the bugg is. I have to admit that until a few days ago I had no idea either.

Well, for those of you who know a little bit about Latin dances, the Bugg is a bit like the less sexy cousin of the merengue. Similar one, two, one, two footwork and many of the same arm movements - but more party than steamy. Merengue is from the Dominican Republic. Bugg is from Sweden. You see where I'm going with this.

Still, it was good fun and very much more so because of the wonderful teachers Kati Koivisto and Jones Kainulainen. If you are one of those people who thinks that you could never possibly learn to dance, then you should try a lesson with these two.

Having done most of my dancing in the UK (where dancers are not afraid to show they are having a good time) I have wondered at times why Finnish dance classes are sometimes so serious. I have seen salsa classes where the footwork is fantastic - but no-one is smiling - and that can't be right. But this wasn't the case at all with Kati and Jones.

Everyone left the class in a better mood than when they arrived, because the teachers managed to pass on their love of music and dance to the class - and that is surely what dancing should be all about. Feeling good in what you are doing.

Kati and Jones give classes all over Finland and will be back in Somero next Easter - so if you are looking for a little fun then put it in your diary right now. No better way to burn off all those chocolate eggs.

Somero Dance Weekend

It has been a busy weekend in Somero. Now just because of Easter, but also because of the annual "Tanssileiri" (dance camp) that takes place here over five days each year. Several hundred dancers have been in town to attending classes on everything from salsa to jive and slow waltz to rumba. 

In Finland there is a tradition of "lavatanssit" which are dance events held throughout the year, usually with a live band and the opportunity to spend the afternoon or evening dancing. Somero has three big dance venues of its own, Teeriharju, Esakallio and Ämyri, so there is no excuse for anyone in this area not to go dancing if they feel like it. Or at least that is the theory.

My problem has always been that although I have always loved dancing and am passionate about salsa, these other dances have been completely foreign to me until now. The idea of turning up to the lavatanssit and not having a clue about any of the steps just felt too intimidating. I share with most Finns that fundamental fear of looking completely out of my depth. 

But earlier this year I took the decision that all this had to change - and this weekend was the perfect opportunity to start. There are dancers here of all levels - from complete beginners to those who have danced for many years. The nicest thing is that the atmosphere is totally relaxed, and everyone seems willing to help everyone else. Even complete beginners like me. 

Over the weekend I have learnt the basics of the slow waltz, jive and cha cha cha as well as the rumba, which has been my absolute favourite. 

Some of the friendly and understanding dancers I have met have also had the patience to show me Finnish dances called the "humppa" and "fusku" and tomorrow I plan to try a Swedish dance called the Bugg. 

If nothing else, I have certainly had some exercise this weekend - and now feel one step closer to finding the courage to go the lavatanssit. I have also discovered the pleasure of dancing the rumba. I am still looking for my own salsa partner though...so if anyone close to Somero is a salsa fan then please get in touch. Someone help me bring some salsa to Somero!