A Poem

My lovely friend Simon sent me this poem this morning and it was so touching that I wanted to share it on the blog with you. It is a beautiful poem which will resonate with anyone who has stared into their own baby's eyes and wondered where they came from.  My own baby Even more than that though... how lucky am I to have friends who not only appreciate poetry, but also the impact it can have when sent to someone else? I'm blessed on both fronts this morning... so now I'm sharing it with you. Hope you like it as much as I did. Baby

George Macdonald (1824–1905)

WHERE did you come from, baby dear? Out of the everywhere into the here. Where did you get those eyes so blue? Out of the sky as I came through. What makes the light in them sparkle and spin? 5 Some of the starry spikes left in. Where did you get that little tear? I found it waiting when I got here. What makes your forehead so smooth and high? A soft hand strok’d it as I went by. 10 What makes your cheek like a warm white rose? I saw something better than any one knows. Whence that three-corner’d smile of bliss? Three angels gave me at once a kiss. Where did you get this pearly ear? 15 God spoke, and it came out to hear. Where did you get those arms and hands? Love made itself into bonds and bands. Feet, whence did you come, you darling things? From the same box as the cherubs’ wings. 20 How did they all just come to be you? God thought about me, and so I grew. But how did you come to us, you dear? God thought about you, and so I am here.

Moody Fairies

After a weekend of cleaning and tidying and sorting after Christmas ...in addition to around nine loads of washing... everything was clean and calm yesterday evening. For a few minutes that is, until the three little ones arrived home from their Dad's and immediately started being sick all over the house. Oh hurray for motherhood. Three under fives with a stomach bug!

Without going into the details, let's just say that through the night we went through every towel and sheet in the entire house, and I slept for a total of around twenty minutes.

The good news is that a fairy arrived this afternoon, and after a quick spell everyone seemed to start getting better again. Who says that magic doesn't exist?

The older children started back at school today...it's hard to believe that they will be breaking up for the summer in just over four months from now...

On the way back from an appointment in Helsinki this afternoon I popped in to see Raili from the Somero English Club who has just come out of hospital from a knee operation. Hello Raili, we are all thinking of you!  Raili will be stuck at home now for several weeks recovering, so if you have any get well messages for her then I know she would appreciate them. I delivered the first of our angel army to her to help her on her way...the rest will be delivered soon.

After the last two days of housework and sickness in our house, I turned to the one thing guaranteed to make everything ok again. Ice cream, whipped cream and caramel sauce. Not healthy perhaps, but guaranteed to make everyone smile. Even the moody fairy.

Somero 6th January Lights

Hämeen Härkätie is one of the oldest trade routes in Europe. It is a road which goes from Turku, the old capital of Finland right over to Hämeenlinna, and it also passes through Somero.

Every year on 6th January, the people living along the road near Somero celebrate the end of the holiday season by lighting up the route with candles, fires and lanterns. Hundreds of people drive down the road to see the lights sparkle against the snow. The pictures speak for themselves....