Come on Tomato!..... Ketchup.....

Been distracted by a poorly family for a few days. Now we're all dosed up on anti-biotics and paracetomol, so here's what I've been wanting to write about... 

Black Snow - here's the picture.... taken on Monday!

Kalevala Day - last Sunday was one of many "flag" days in Finland. It's not a national holiday but every flag pole flies the Finnish Flag. They occur a couple of times a month and commemorate all sorts of things. There are flag poles all over the place, too. Every block of apartments has one, almost every building has one and some private homes, too. It's a very patriotic practise - to see the national flag flying all over.

Last Sunday's Flag Day was to commemorate The Finnish Epic; Kalevala. I have a copy in English - I've read the first page! It is said that it's difficult to find a Finn who has read the whole thing.... I married one! When I asked him why, he said it was because he wanted to know what was in it! Fair enough... Maybe I'll read the rest sometime. It makes me wonder... if that's the case, why isn't it a set book at school?

I do plan to get the Mauri Kunnas kids version for Monkey. Mauri Kunnas is great. He takes classics and turns them into children's stories, with beautiful illustrations to make them totally accessible. Some have been translated to english, too, so even I can understand them.

Aleksis Kivi's Seven Brothers has become Seven Doggie Brothers and there is also the story of Doggie Hill Martha & Runeperi which tells the tale of J L Runeberg, national Poet of Finland. Both Kivi & Runeberg have flags days, too. Seven Brothers was the first major novel written in the Finnish Language! (I haven't read that either!). Doggie Hill is (alledgedly) in Turku, so in the summer there is a children's bus tour of the city based on Mauri Kunnas Stories.

Back to the weather for a moment: we had a few days of positive temperatures over the weekend so lots of slush - I was finally forced to buy some wellies (nice red ones, they are!). I've been meaning to buy a decent pair of winter boots for ages. But, the snow is so dry I have been wearing my shoes all winter - I don't tend to stand around in the snow, so my feet don't really have time to get cold. Boots kept moving down the priority list. Before you know it, Spring will be here and I'll be back in sandals anyway, so now I have my fab red wellies I might not bother with winter boots at all - how very un-finnish of me!

In general since moving here I buy more socks & less shoes than I ever have (not that I've ever been a big shoe-buyer anyway!). The reason? You only need shoes outside. You never wear shoes inside (except in shops). So your shoes only need to be outdoor shoes and your socks need to be presentable!

Every home has a foyer or "vestibule" - which in winter reminds me of an air-lock - where you change from your outdoor to indoor clothes - remove your coat, shoes, hat, scarf, gloves, earmuffs etc & unwrap the children from their snowsuits. There's normally a nice big coat cupboard or plenty of hooks and a shoe rack. In our house, it's the only place with a full length mirror and no heating!

It's all part of the hermetic seal that ensures that your heating keeps you warm in winter. Triple glazed windows, double doors and underfloor heating. It's very practical - it gets cold in winter, so it should be warm inside but after a lifetime of living in houses with drafts, single glazing, rotten window frames, temperamental heating (which goes off at night) and "if you're cold, put on a jumper" - it's been an adjustment! Indoors I tend to wear summer clothes, regardless of the temperature outside..

I no longer have a real use for jumpers; they are too warm for indoors and are only an extra layer under my winter coat on the coldest of cold days (when the wind chill drops the temperature). It's a strange thought! Same with slippers. I have a gorgeous new pair of warm slippers which are too warm for daily wear but ideal for stepping out onto the terrace for a spot of fresh air as they have proper soles.

Taken a few minutes ago - the view from the front window. I like days like this - sunny, crisp, fresh, cold (but up to +2). Shame we're all stuck inside with coughs and colds!