tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53347242010827517642024-03-13T20:15:55.736+02:00An Arctic Rainbow of Colour...A British woman living in Lapland...Mrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-5512534497537511662011-12-30T20:53:00.002+02:002011-12-30T21:03:55.331+02:00Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTdj5myhnYZ0tijCE5AfaZ4Ms94jBzYEkz3WNVFIINON5ORthZsv2Y8Vk126nBFd0CkBKhOMUwBgTNT785GsxYmhq-veanLFnXlaaWF9W2os1StiRuVtn0JsMunSJjmnoELThyphenhyphenXt7rVk/s1600/XmasDecs2011.TreePresents.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTdj5myhnYZ0tijCE5AfaZ4Ms94jBzYEkz3WNVFIINON5ORthZsv2Y8Vk126nBFd0CkBKhOMUwBgTNT785GsxYmhq-veanLFnXlaaWF9W2os1StiRuVtn0JsMunSJjmnoELThyphenhyphenXt7rVk/s400/XmasDecs2011.TreePresents.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691988834299627570" /></a>I was recently asked by the host of the <br /><a href="http://www.vintageandmodernunite.blogspot.com/">V & M blog</a>, to share any photographs that I have of my Christmas. Then I considered that it might be nice to add them here, also...on my old blog, which for so long has laid dormant. So here they are... just some images to share... that might bring you pleasure. <br /><br />I live in Lapland, Finland, although I am British. My decorations are therefore a mix of both cultures, where wooden elves and straw decorations are more in keeping with the season and less is more. <br /><br />The English side of me however, has twinkling tree lights on my indoor tree...something not on sale locally...and I purchase from the UK instead. :D <br /><br />Outside we have snow of course and our outdoor Christmas tree with static green lights. Very calm. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissFPA0ol6q5FDV2qihhP3YGhyphenhyphen2aOp7EXhhzZow191usUV34wjN-pSaHxeaha-vVJwDg7NVzBPSngt0S_Mm7BGrUMstJ4ihZpmLAcXD9w_Tl4ipezeyo16gZMrM9zsOPNmFA-E707BaCA/s1600/18.xmas2011.house.1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissFPA0ol6q5FDV2qihhP3YGhyphenhyphen2aOp7EXhhzZow191usUV34wjN-pSaHxeaha-vVJwDg7NVzBPSngt0S_Mm7BGrUMstJ4ihZpmLAcXD9w_Tl4ipezeyo16gZMrM9zsOPNmFA-E707BaCA/s400/18.xmas2011.house.1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691974535995400370" /></a><br /><br />With candle decor, created by a cone of snowballs with a candle in the middle. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-NvnljAJa1O4ejCsj8OqzRSAZR05DqYCfkOS96HhTxpEhjOV8mbSMiC2sBhYQJrWZKQVk1UYF1AdJe8N7AvvZlpr_i6K2PQEYRx4_w_nv6KgRTo4-iT-ZOujkHp4Ml7WMBGvQZLgEqA/s1600/23.xmas2011.snowball.2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-NvnljAJa1O4ejCsj8OqzRSAZR05DqYCfkOS96HhTxpEhjOV8mbSMiC2sBhYQJrWZKQVk1UYF1AdJe8N7AvvZlpr_i6K2PQEYRx4_w_nv6KgRTo4-iT-ZOujkHp4Ml7WMBGvQZLgEqA/s400/23.xmas2011.snowball.2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691974887198024690" /></a> <br /><br />A large wooden elf by our doorway<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GBnKljuxIa18eDT5oWiQuHy3SSzSiHH-2SXqjF-zckiIjkfhd4r_vIq3VQetowTT5RGv4yD91LSxUsTlNhth75bv4lcpgh7uYX-NmSSaJDGtJihNxhfjlh1wy8r_ZviTQuLfvpkwjhw/s1600/10.xmas2011.DoorwayElf.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GBnKljuxIa18eDT5oWiQuHy3SSzSiHH-2SXqjF-zckiIjkfhd4r_vIq3VQetowTT5RGv4yD91LSxUsTlNhth75bv4lcpgh7uYX-NmSSaJDGtJihNxhfjlh1wy8r_ZviTQuLfvpkwjhw/s400/10.xmas2011.DoorwayElf.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691975287486491442" /></a><br /><br />....and a metal cut out lantern hanging from the Pine tree. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CV0nHRcw8xmaqeKc4zzIkDTcp3vTlntgqnK_I8_hroaQ7yC2GzH23hQHcju42-KCfvbqU51Nb1x9aXYn34Io1SVwYaojdddrx6MUSRa41iYxAHLnbx9veVJ5WbS9fvFGn43SdjqkQMg/s1600/13.xmas2011.lantern1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CV0nHRcw8xmaqeKc4zzIkDTcp3vTlntgqnK_I8_hroaQ7yC2GzH23hQHcju42-KCfvbqU51Nb1x9aXYn34Io1SVwYaojdddrx6MUSRa41iYxAHLnbx9veVJ5WbS9fvFGn43SdjqkQMg/s400/13.xmas2011.lantern1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691975488895038194" /></a><br /><br />A peeking elf by the front door. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3bxlEwpPvA87hX9-Rb3YYNgCJbPsWkluKEfVIZPztQjbD5Wc-e8O1fk0rtOK0MK7QM6XuYiscaBDFAFK_JLzHajqXFsZsazy57j2VguOOgkmkUbKsl69mix6VgAajyGBPunawuHTG08/s1600/12.xmas2011.PeekingElf.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3bxlEwpPvA87hX9-Rb3YYNgCJbPsWkluKEfVIZPztQjbD5Wc-e8O1fk0rtOK0MK7QM6XuYiscaBDFAFK_JLzHajqXFsZsazy57j2VguOOgkmkUbKsl69mix6VgAajyGBPunawuHTG08/s400/12.xmas2011.PeekingElf.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691975715307671314" /></a><br /><br />Plus a wreath on the door. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwKpXDpUFtVCK7i93DKBTvxNVQKWHNmWy4NZqaB8_dSLOoJgaCD2JIM6x0W911XdB5FP44donO4pcKpaKba3OXp-AW-UqLifQDrotog_DfczzYL-PjPnSQrBIs27vsTXHy_ShaBcN3nQ/s1600/28.xmas2011.Wreath.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 351px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwKpXDpUFtVCK7i93DKBTvxNVQKWHNmWy4NZqaB8_dSLOoJgaCD2JIM6x0W911XdB5FP44donO4pcKpaKba3OXp-AW-UqLifQDrotog_DfczzYL-PjPnSQrBIs27vsTXHy_ShaBcN3nQ/s400/28.xmas2011.Wreath.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691976304822252658" /></a><br /><br />We can get so much snow that the council tractor comes most days to clear it away. Today for instance we woke to a good foot of snow. These photo's of the tractor were taken on the 21st. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtuGhUyRZL3ckDN3pHptbrulp0iNS8GKJpcD5jWQ2enghRFxGXRqZb1g00RBqz066xef2-8gF3SdisNFZPFpn1kAc0xsqp7dKblnuHpqbDQFh5cnrz4Pf-eC5AEWau2xtniEOajS2ux0/s1600/19.xmas2011.Tractor1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtuGhUyRZL3ckDN3pHptbrulp0iNS8GKJpcD5jWQ2enghRFxGXRqZb1g00RBqz066xef2-8gF3SdisNFZPFpn1kAc0xsqp7dKblnuHpqbDQFh5cnrz4Pf-eC5AEWau2xtniEOajS2ux0/s400/19.xmas2011.Tractor1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691990858380541826" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Wnp80WghT1Stad6E1kEgtENcNfkb0r44UuW9iFLmZXy5UjrbcpO1xRij0G7ipI7l07umfkJBH3yS_c4l9UgecaPm59PEvsfbzdBPoo2DkMg6q2MoPegihiN9anUcAjPj_YUG-NS41Ps/s1600/21.xmas2011.Tractor3.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Wnp80WghT1Stad6E1kEgtENcNfkb0r44UuW9iFLmZXy5UjrbcpO1xRij0G7ipI7l07umfkJBH3yS_c4l9UgecaPm59PEvsfbzdBPoo2DkMg6q2MoPegihiN9anUcAjPj_YUG-NS41Ps/s400/21.xmas2011.Tractor3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691976666118496722" /></a><br /><br />Indoors we have a traditional electrical candle set. This photo was taken from the outside and the reflections on the window made it look like a St.Lucia girl (a Dec 13th tradition in Finland and Sweden celebrating the return of light). She looks just like she is wearing the crown of light! You can also see an eery image of her smiling face! :D I love it! How magical!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi-_9F9nqFMk4nMGnIJx8hk3Hx3nR4yrJRKcTv-pJ6RNGzJGrbnxqMv7QWBjSs_IeHYp1-YKiRppPPsvHc5I6_2I9qcjDwUX-c6QOh2yjtg25AaUXyps-TJocrluFd38qfhNXtxFYJbs/s1600/8.xmas2011.CandlesWindowFace.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi-_9F9nqFMk4nMGnIJx8hk3Hx3nR4yrJRKcTv-pJ6RNGzJGrbnxqMv7QWBjSs_IeHYp1-YKiRppPPsvHc5I6_2I9qcjDwUX-c6QOh2yjtg25AaUXyps-TJocrluFd38qfhNXtxFYJbs/s400/8.xmas2011.CandlesWindowFace.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691976992591949378" /></a><br /><br />Here it is from indoors...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUQYp7kP27jCaZc10O6cUHY4xKKfyKn_chCnT70_hlcg4HeV2uEMp63JUdFZ3euueU7WLt8GoHwGESRRn0w4AeLIXD0q4eYy88rrL58nSeSH4uwTxwRMYTc4j7HvAuoav535faf6tdKk/s1600/4.xmas2011.CandlesInside.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUQYp7kP27jCaZc10O6cUHY4xKKfyKn_chCnT70_hlcg4HeV2uEMp63JUdFZ3euueU7WLt8GoHwGESRRn0w4AeLIXD0q4eYy88rrL58nSeSH4uwTxwRMYTc4j7HvAuoav535faf6tdKk/s400/4.xmas2011.CandlesInside.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691977892653135778" /></a><br /><br />These are in my kitchen. Traditional card cutouts of Tonttu's (Elves), log Tonttu's and straw Olkipukki goats. The Goats stem from distant tales of the God Thor riding across the Yule skies, his magical chariot being pulled by Goats called Tanngrisni "gap-tooth" and Tanngnost "tooth grinder". Over the centuries, it would seem that Thor became Santa... and Goats became Reindeer! However, Goats still feature strongly in Finnish and Swedish Christmas', by way of decorations and also on cards. Sometimes Santa is still seen with a Goat here! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3RdNSQezJK7qrOhOvuz5htUcyaf8hSnsABTp_S4MoFAL5Tuz7HUX_TGzRmnNpBQz4z7yxUL4JkmGRWJn2JlX7J9AremZbyLuzGeY8ifbq7MXtlTYHH7TKrBP7ntIIYsEQph0aRZhijw/s1600/XmasDecs2011.ElvesKitchen.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3RdNSQezJK7qrOhOvuz5htUcyaf8hSnsABTp_S4MoFAL5Tuz7HUX_TGzRmnNpBQz4z7yxUL4JkmGRWJn2JlX7J9AremZbyLuzGeY8ifbq7MXtlTYHH7TKrBP7ntIIYsEQph0aRZhijw/s400/XmasDecs2011.ElvesKitchen.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691979578107466242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5JvF3ftLTHTnZ-HIj9czaf5oInV1XDathUxDYHev1AVrBDg-gUyv3Ozv5FAs5Im9zhzl5IzEnNzFclp7dbKhA8Xtkn5cPhjrSNM_qYA0vy8sAmSnXfp-dreR7hmUt77TK5PKPNCQz0s/s1600/XmasDecs2011.StrawgoatElves.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 389px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5JvF3ftLTHTnZ-HIj9czaf5oInV1XDathUxDYHev1AVrBDg-gUyv3Ozv5FAs5Im9zhzl5IzEnNzFclp7dbKhA8Xtkn5cPhjrSNM_qYA0vy8sAmSnXfp-dreR7hmUt77TK5PKPNCQz0s/s400/XmasDecs2011.StrawgoatElves.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691979802806285282" /></a><br /><br />Our Christmas table.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRx-pwe69PFbl9iizIXh14UYq2FubZpo4GVEjiU_xRIkA1xz2fKXV17IBm1wJYizm2hy57GK4RtBDxPsqWDR6-Iy6okvPd65JJmBxk50EWIex_tk9W9OEYKdUhhgTGlBx_7Ct-uMyb8k/s1600/XmasDecs2011.Dinner.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRx-pwe69PFbl9iizIXh14UYq2FubZpo4GVEjiU_xRIkA1xz2fKXV17IBm1wJYizm2hy57GK4RtBDxPsqWDR6-Iy6okvPd65JJmBxk50EWIex_tk9W9OEYKdUhhgTGlBx_7Ct-uMyb8k/s400/XmasDecs2011.Dinner.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691979984104024706" /></a><br /><br />I have a number of decorations around the room... <br /><br />A straw mobile, again with straw goats.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KGyFP6PbNB02Vs_sFW9BAC3UkoT_5-Yv5NkH3PWD4Fs6LOPNExzcY06N8BCNPAcUZw2QXRUa4azCCJ4i5ksswu21_EXJBFpK0pKxo53KMKSBERTC4XMXA4ywQttefZqyShhHWQsZctE/s1600/XmasDecs2011.StrawDecs.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KGyFP6PbNB02Vs_sFW9BAC3UkoT_5-Yv5NkH3PWD4Fs6LOPNExzcY06N8BCNPAcUZw2QXRUa4azCCJ4i5ksswu21_EXJBFpK0pKxo53KMKSBERTC4XMXA4ywQttefZqyShhHWQsZctE/s400/XmasDecs2011.StrawDecs.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691983210317204354" /></a><br /><br />An old English Avon Nativity set. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2rtymftn5N9KLHp-vl_H3wAzwc9-VfrIDrwCdc1IbVzuCbUf743mTJKSkH0X4v_rNVD0YSB9Y5TL67MY2-RlEeXgvtpAJmEhXxbCaBv1Idd70G1BId8qs2Xxk3bZ0D_NVQ9mz0iyAUY/s1600/XmasDecs2011.Nativity.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2rtymftn5N9KLHp-vl_H3wAzwc9-VfrIDrwCdc1IbVzuCbUf743mTJKSkH0X4v_rNVD0YSB9Y5TL67MY2-RlEeXgvtpAJmEhXxbCaBv1Idd70G1BId8qs2Xxk3bZ0D_NVQ9mz0iyAUY/s400/XmasDecs2011.Nativity.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691983073393497090" /></a><br /><br />An old singing Avon Snowman, again bought in England.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQapohJDJCuZstQWRwgnX0ZuilUTH6AzoLNiH2RyvYPV8oLKvsmnmA-badcpOeVH1L9890wOdYOvrGSOe5pQSN5kFrObZyuC7QgWxpotbwY3LnmaZCTa5GoKDI-TFoxUIMiZP_56Ya4o/s1600/XmasDecs2011.snowman.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQapohJDJCuZstQWRwgnX0ZuilUTH6AzoLNiH2RyvYPV8oLKvsmnmA-badcpOeVH1L9890wOdYOvrGSOe5pQSN5kFrObZyuC7QgWxpotbwY3LnmaZCTa5GoKDI-TFoxUIMiZP_56Ya4o/s400/XmasDecs2011.snowman.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691982988677050946" /></a><br /><br />A reindeer fur covered Finnish Santa. Is this how he used to look, before he changed to wearing red and white?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OFenaioNleDPJqJDBRvwjHBplgx8ULIblLL1APy9Wxcz9gi_8kFJ7MS_WSPzrHrr8so7nhJuQ9RwOmpUa3IMzyq4h4-HeQXpVu91u7r1LZkEd0hoqrtIGXb9Bvwftf45RtaaJ-ZvrTM/s1600/XmasDecs2011.Santa.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OFenaioNleDPJqJDBRvwjHBplgx8ULIblLL1APy9Wxcz9gi_8kFJ7MS_WSPzrHrr8so7nhJuQ9RwOmpUa3IMzyq4h4-HeQXpVu91u7r1LZkEd0hoqrtIGXb9Bvwftf45RtaaJ-ZvrTM/s400/XmasDecs2011.Santa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691982915392535266" /></a><br /><br />Our Christmas tree indoors is a fake one, whereas the one outside is real. My eldest son wanted to decorate the tree this year and he loves red. I think he did a fine job! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAsgiD_y5EGqr72HPrljNGhByIejSyQYEidYJqb9Nx1xk0RvMYc7GRMiTMCSZZdLRt7LnW497jFnA53_ef1duC9aKX5vyOUtFnQ0_5eHf-SUaIMNJNHHDIyMbhyphenhyphenx4shy1cir08OqJLxA/s1600/XmasDecs2011.TreePresents.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAsgiD_y5EGqr72HPrljNGhByIejSyQYEidYJqb9Nx1xk0RvMYc7GRMiTMCSZZdLRt7LnW497jFnA53_ef1duC9aKX5vyOUtFnQ0_5eHf-SUaIMNJNHHDIyMbhyphenhyphenx4shy1cir08OqJLxA/s400/XmasDecs2011.TreePresents.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691980211655972610" /></a><br /><br />Here are just some of the decorations on it.... <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHfz5yqwi_yqn64zqJLvSrqY0s70U0Xai1b4_4_yITcjic3yPLjxjiHnGVmEbJA9QtVj-av7bR4K-QS5XueOq8aETlPuRljaol2EA7gopeuVa0_pt3MYLtgMrtam1l7cdp9QUmVp6mzY/s1600/XmasDecs2011.TreeTopper.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHfz5yqwi_yqn64zqJLvSrqY0s70U0Xai1b4_4_yITcjic3yPLjxjiHnGVmEbJA9QtVj-av7bR4K-QS5XueOq8aETlPuRljaol2EA7gopeuVa0_pt3MYLtgMrtam1l7cdp9QUmVp6mzY/s400/XmasDecs2011.TreeTopper.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691980850066864530" /></a><br /><br />A wooden elf figure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bProzlM4Uj6HlR2Bf5lGxXDXc05YT_to8_lWLfJ0-DN1NiMBn0O6_pfFgsccMgF2kxewAWFZxp5DeEt2jKKKm2v8EY7ey26zSwYDppe9TVMlXciDR0Pmag450lOpeODSy0H2ANklwLY/s1600/XmasDecs2011.Elf.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bProzlM4Uj6HlR2Bf5lGxXDXc05YT_to8_lWLfJ0-DN1NiMBn0O6_pfFgsccMgF2kxewAWFZxp5DeEt2jKKKm2v8EY7ey26zSwYDppe9TVMlXciDR0Pmag450lOpeODSy0H2ANklwLY/s400/XmasDecs2011.Elf.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691980675200153906" /></a><br /><br />I was given this heart as a present many years back by a Norwegian friend, one whom I have long lost contact with, (pre Facebook!) and every year, I place it at the core of the tree. :D <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rz7aq4bcM-hi-HOFom0UPzSeox2tqU8w1l5s3q2XeKktoJI5aMo8U8gcZz0AKxKMA5Vw0uAx_xQy6ZWTCpDflB_K6yDhf0o4bTm1PlodduxOFwjwoagH4jYzDQUOXqYV3Ejy8pIhDxg/s1600/XmasDecs2011.Heart.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rz7aq4bcM-hi-HOFom0UPzSeox2tqU8w1l5s3q2XeKktoJI5aMo8U8gcZz0AKxKMA5Vw0uAx_xQy6ZWTCpDflB_K6yDhf0o4bTm1PlodduxOFwjwoagH4jYzDQUOXqYV3Ejy8pIhDxg/s400/XmasDecs2011.Heart.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691980500509947138" /></a><br /><br />This year, I wrote each of our names on a bauble and the year with a gold felt pen. When Christmas is over we will all sign each others, as a reminder that we were all together for this Christmas and keep the bauble. Our sons now live away, as they are in education, so who knows what next year will bring, when they are already 19 and 21 years old? I hope we will be celebrating together again next Christmas though! :D <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QVRSq6GCruE-ZxWBonA4TdKI2yhx8vjDSaXVXGsT6b6JjWaAu8WRIfh6ZEl6sCVPH6Y0xgqk37lMyUrEFBIULez5zKwDaodKdqTs-zVw9PZhyphenhyphen2VPXUFmbuj7IpZTohHfVCcqwqiS73M/s1600/XmasDecs2011.Bauble.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 387px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QVRSq6GCruE-ZxWBonA4TdKI2yhx8vjDSaXVXGsT6b6JjWaAu8WRIfh6ZEl6sCVPH6Y0xgqk37lMyUrEFBIULez5zKwDaodKdqTs-zVw9PZhyphenhyphen2VPXUFmbuj7IpZTohHfVCcqwqiS73M/s400/XmasDecs2011.Bauble.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691980583695986178" /></a> <br /><br />May I wish you all Season's Greetings.... Merry Christmas (Hyvää Joulua) and a Happy New Year (Onnellista Uutta Vuotta) from Sodankylä, Lapland in Finland.<br /><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-61919520268700031492011-01-28T17:58:00.001+02:002011-01-28T18:00:39.265+02:00This blog is no longer being updatedFor the time being this blog is not being updated. Thank you for your interest in reading back dated blogs. <br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-12854418430364273042010-12-08T18:23:00.008+02:002010-12-08T22:47:49.374+02:00The Sauna - The Great Finnish Tradition!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHKsUgIFUhxIXbD7tKM17V9Y6fAMzfjqUXOZTs_0ri0s10R2M2jxOwLjBJur_5O_V09-dWXXhdvfS4ZIEehLr0RiB7cizfT3CzTc5mVW3e8SJi9oCqdcwZof1pATDjVoAOli9TGbAzESy/s1600/Picture+51.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHKsUgIFUhxIXbD7tKM17V9Y6fAMzfjqUXOZTs_0ri0s10R2M2jxOwLjBJur_5O_V09-dWXXhdvfS4ZIEehLr0RiB7cizfT3CzTc5mVW3e8SJi9oCqdcwZof1pATDjVoAOli9TGbAzESy/s400/Picture+51.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548357266499011890" /></a><br />The Sauna... one of the things Finns love most in life. <br /><br />Pronounced <span style="font-style:italic;">Sorna</span> in English, it is pronounced <span style="font-style:italic;">Sow-oo-na</span> in Finnish (that is sow as in female pig btw!). <br /><br />In Finland, the sauna is part of daily life.. literally from cradle to the grave. In days gone by, new life would be born there.. and often folk were taken there to die in older age. <br /><br />It's a place of relaxation and peace. A place to chat and have a drink and socialise - whether with family or friends.<br /><br />The savusauna or smoke sauna, plus the woodstove sauna is still popular, but most often families these days have an electric sauna. Most homes have a sauna as standard, even if it is a little small.. it will seat at least four people at a time. It is more unusual to be without one! <br /><br />The sauna is a cultural heritage at its best. Documented for several hundreds of years at least..the sauna was in use at least once a week by Finns, when in much of Europe bathing was something to be done rarely or preferably not at all! These days the traditional sauna day is Saturday and families will sauna together.<br /><br />If you would like to read more about sauna, there is also a Finnish Sauna Society! <a href="http://www.sauna.fi/inenglish.html">http://www.sauna.fi/inenglish.html</a><br /><br />If you are unable to enjoy a sauna at this time.. then maybe this will ease your pain for short while! This is a fun iPhone app available very inexpensively (just 0.79€!) and developed by ATK-tehdas Oy, a privately owned company in Lapland, focusing on creating software for fun. Never before has it been this easy to carry a sauna with you!<br /><br />Enjoy the ancient Finnish sauna tradition with the Sauna App for iPhone. This unique display of Finnish craftsmanship has been carefully manufactured in Lapland using only the best raw materials and tools, including Sisu, tar and a Macbook. The Sauna App reproduces the blissful auditory experience of the Finnish sauna. Just close your eyes, relax, and throw some water on the stones.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7IXW3D96Vc-MvD5BSFwBiRs5kbKFa6_w1zR9o6Qz7egj53YjWVSNDjR2NJaBwVR650klo67F_VhmiPm2357fpAWhpZPGROsHHBEpxpDs9t5UnsQYt6awjaUDksslp5dOhvAdHys0k8n6/s1600/Picture+49.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7IXW3D96Vc-MvD5BSFwBiRs5kbKFa6_w1zR9o6Qz7egj53YjWVSNDjR2NJaBwVR650klo67F_VhmiPm2357fpAWhpZPGROsHHBEpxpDs9t5UnsQYt6awjaUDksslp5dOhvAdHys0k8n6/s400/Picture+49.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548348638678492354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xIVplb84-kA?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xIVplb84-kA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/sauna/id404062422?mt=8%22"><br />http://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/sauna/id404062422?mt=8</a><br /><br />Copyright Information<br /><br />All content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-9860575238642902712010-10-24T20:17:00.015+03:002010-10-24T22:42:35.218+03:00October 7th a dog-gone day... literally!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFp1-U-j3BTCqIaF_ST6OfB6BKz3m_O1pxZEG84iNQEMLIdTwCkcx32mB_JlMZyMFenKFOMN3t1OibHLElzpLBzYRqNMubGpQCQo_PKDQf-Eg-4XniA3NWaIY9O5SoASKgx2MOdH6HtJw/s1600/FluffyHeadstone500.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFp1-U-j3BTCqIaF_ST6OfB6BKz3m_O1pxZEG84iNQEMLIdTwCkcx32mB_JlMZyMFenKFOMN3t1OibHLElzpLBzYRqNMubGpQCQo_PKDQf-Eg-4XniA3NWaIY9O5SoASKgx2MOdH6HtJw/s400/FluffyHeadstone500.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531665361770543458" /></a><br />7th October. It is just a normal date of the year. Yet the 7th October is one of those days that I think I will always dread appearing on the calendar now. <br /><br />Last year, on 7th October, our darling dog Fluffy died. <br /><br />If you have read my blog over a long time, you will probably have read the blog about her. She was the most beautiful dog you have ever seen. Half Samoyed and half something else that made her black, instead of the customary Samoyed white. She lived up to her name... and beautifully so. Sadly, we had to have her put to sleep after a long battle with cancer. It was an awful day. It also happened to co-incide with the day that many years previously my own Dad had died. What a day. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvKnR8NK7n66NWTX3l2M5IZWGMegLJZQv_j6pm-pKTww6Hu9CYMQjwqH_Jzrg4ysOXLWZw3UVczvyqcmb6woool-uH21qCM1UqAF8PI0WajrbM__JiCaL0oXWCAOlq-8sMvQY52zYdcrO/s1600/SnowyFluffyJan08.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvKnR8NK7n66NWTX3l2M5IZWGMegLJZQv_j6pm-pKTww6Hu9CYMQjwqH_Jzrg4ysOXLWZw3UVczvyqcmb6woool-uH21qCM1UqAF8PI0WajrbM__JiCaL0oXWCAOlq-8sMvQY52zYdcrO/s400/SnowyFluffyJan08.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531667485871897538" /></a><br /><br />We planned this year, that we would finally get her plot at the pet cemetery sorted out. We had to wait for all the winter and spring snow to clear, then all the summer mosquitoes to die off. Jake, our younger son, was planning to come home a day earlier, on the thursday, from college, in order to give Fluffy a candle at the cemetery. Fluffy was his life and he still misses her terribly. We thought we would surprise him that the plot was done. <br /><br />We still needed to finish off varnishing the pyrographed plaque that we had made, so planned to do this and take the plaque up to the cemetery either on the tuesday or the wednesday. For some reason the varnish was taking ages to dry.. so it ended up being wednesday night before it was ready.. we thought we would dash up there on the thursday morning just before Jake arrived and then go back again with him later. <br /><br />The thursday arrived and that day was naturally a little sombre.. but worse was to come.. much worse. The day turned out to be a day from hell. <br /><br />Mark, my husband went out for the normal morning walk with Dexter, our remaining dog. He is nearly three years old and a beautiful, vocal, pale blue eyed Husky. He took ages to come home and I was getting a little concerned as to where they could be. <br /><br />Mark came home, minus Dexter. <br /><br />Dexter had run off, on a whim. Just before Mark got back home, Dexter had seen a whopping great big white reindeer in the forest and ran head long after it. He ignored calls back and just disappeared into the middle of nowhere, heading in a direction he had never been before. It wasn't like Dex had never seen a Reindeer before either! Mark walked and called him for ages, but to no avail. He came home dejected. <br /><br />As he was making himself a cup of tea, I said that I would go out in the meanwhile. I trundled until I was on the verge of not knowing where I was.. calling all the time. Nothing. Mark went out.. came home, went out again. He went out on his bike, to cover more ground. <br /><br />With Dexter gone we couldn't go up the cemetery, so the plaque stayed on the kitchen table. We started to make phone calls to the local police, the daughter of the local dog warden who spoke english and anyone else we could think of. I put an alert out on facebook and very soon messages were being passed around by others, to keep an eye out for our daft delinquent dog! (Thanks everyone!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkS7uJQz4ihOuj84iMN76rMb93HfstR212FoW_gj_tfM55dDJjulN9cB_ccsBq-EaCCvoqsnP6AwdLW1dNmyCD5CYITsUr9uJRL02ETapG_0sQd-E-Ea7DZkLyrVcqjRlERQ_ZroyDlH0/s1600/Dexter.Sofa1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkS7uJQz4ihOuj84iMN76rMb93HfstR212FoW_gj_tfM55dDJjulN9cB_ccsBq-EaCCvoqsnP6AwdLW1dNmyCD5CYITsUr9uJRL02ETapG_0sQd-E-Ea7DZkLyrVcqjRlERQ_ZroyDlH0/s400/Dexter.Sofa1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531668776012498786" /></a><br /><br />Jake rang his Dad to say he was nearly home on the bus. He was told about Dexter and that he would have to walk home as Mark was somewhere in the forest but wasn't sure exactly where! Then I got worried about the whereabouts of my husband! I knew he would find his way back ok, but it was cold out there and I myself didn't know where he was! Of course I need not have worried.. he came home eventually. However, he was hopping mad and seriously upset. Emotionally he was fraught with the torment of being guilty that Dex had run off, of not knowing where he was. He could not bear the thought of losing his dog and not ever knowing what happened to him. <br /><br />After my cajoling we went up to the cemetery, to lay the candle and add Fluffy's plaque. Although the surprise element for Jake was now lost, it was something we all needed to do. It was dark by then, but we still did it. I felt a little angry with Dexter that he has stolen a part of Fluffy's day, but it was so intermingled with concern too. Where was he? His first time away from us, it was dark and cold and I worried for his safety. He can travel a lot of distance really quickly. By that time, he could have been anywhere!<br /><br />Fortunately, Dexter is chipped and was wearing a named collar, a yellow reflective jacket and a red dog harness. He was going to be noticeable, if seen. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsogiY0xDW5XQC-EnRWh25l8SGb33AQdphatebFsI94wFU_SOaSC9nA-IOD-lf4WFhr74bRXHEEzd2EfTOY9NMWWXnKr4fomsFO-8mJYgqYeOOA0Xg1vjAXiThPZ4B_ew_p8RMnJG9wMk/s1600/DexInJacket2010.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsogiY0xDW5XQC-EnRWh25l8SGb33AQdphatebFsI94wFU_SOaSC9nA-IOD-lf4WFhr74bRXHEEzd2EfTOY9NMWWXnKr4fomsFO-8mJYgqYeOOA0Xg1vjAXiThPZ4B_ew_p8RMnJG9wMk/s400/DexInJacket2010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531697145597171186" /></a><br /><br />However, it was a real worry because stray dogs can be shot here in Lapland, especially if seen chasing reindeer. This time of the year is both reindeer round up time and moose hunting season. Therefore there are even more reindeer around the villages than deeper in the forests, more reindeer men and more huntsmen with their guns locally. Dexter was running the risk of being shot by accident or on purpose! On the other hand, the fact that he was wearing the yellow jacket meant that he looked like a hunting dog and other huntsmen might just leave him be. Naturally with him being such a handsome dog, there was always the chance someone might just keep him! So many things were running through our heads...and horrid, worrisome things at that! <br /><br />During the evening and right through the night, we worked to try and find him. There was no point in going too far afield though, not in the dark. Mark walked the normal evenings walk.. but still no sign of him. I loaded his information on lost and found sites on the internet and Mark texted everyone he knew in Finland - literally!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XaNGiUyabFyuWtOKYQ0-fxHxenuPEL3r_-D5CmHonHaG3sUaZFthvd1Y9Yrn5SWPG7LFMY4Ars6zCuKEXXg3Zqo-3VSpCvERug37Qt-cLeTAyZ37IuoCWY2KBvoPZeuqnkIinyF8sX4f/s1600/DexPiggy-HappyBoy.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 361px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XaNGiUyabFyuWtOKYQ0-fxHxenuPEL3r_-D5CmHonHaG3sUaZFthvd1Y9Yrn5SWPG7LFMY4Ars6zCuKEXXg3Zqo-3VSpCvERug37Qt-cLeTAyZ37IuoCWY2KBvoPZeuqnkIinyF8sX4f/s400/DexPiggy-HappyBoy.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531668979273166066" /></a><br /><br />We made signs to put up around town. I had to learn how to use a particular photoshop programme to do it too! We printed them off and put them in plastic sleeves, just in case the snowing started in the meanwhile. Mark didn't sleep all night.. just stayed up looking out the window on the off chance that Dex returned. I had about three hours. We were both wrecked. <br /><br />I woke up at about six o'clock to find Mark gone from the home. He was already out and about putting the leaflets in town. He went to some obscure places, spoke to lorry drivers on their way out of town, businesses on the outskirts, went to a particular location that he thought Dexter might have gone to and put all the leaflets out in the postal boxes of houses that way, until he ran out and came home to print more out. <br /><br />Then we got a break through. It was about 8am and a lady rang to say she had seen Dexter the previous night about 5kms away over by the television mast. Its a huge thing, in the depth of forest and an area Dexter had never been in before. The lady had received one of Marks leaflets in her post box. She had seen Dex at 6pm however and by 8am.. again he could have been anywhere! Nevertheless it was positive news and we were grateful for it. <br /><br />Mark also spoke to a lady that I used to do business with and she said she would put the alert out on Lapin Radio, on the missing dog news. Thank you Merja! We didn't even know that existed! We know that many people heard it and about our naughty imp Dexter! :D <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeioDC2hhUvRqx4I_rYIUAzPRKeEl_HVRJc-FMViou9OWyQ8Gt_tQperIABMSfIB-1679G9hgshcsyKUczpJbC5HLepLpaslqZ8AvFlO1gV67Wi4JG4gmdtpkq-DHQeMMESBEt_7syFZFz/s1600/Dexter23rdMarch2010.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeioDC2hhUvRqx4I_rYIUAzPRKeEl_HVRJc-FMViou9OWyQ8Gt_tQperIABMSfIB-1679G9hgshcsyKUczpJbC5HLepLpaslqZ8AvFlO1gV67Wi4JG4gmdtpkq-DHQeMMESBEt_7syFZFz/s400/Dexter23rdMarch2010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531669281579117090" /></a><br /><br />I put my coat on and said to Mark that I was coming with him on the next round. We drove to where the mast was and called and called. I went in one direction and Mark in another. I found a pathway that went on for what seemed forever and I walked a very long way in. Again nothing. <br /><br />Then the mobile went. It was our good friend Minna. Now, Minna recently moved to Rovaniemi, which is 130kms away.. so realistically one would think she could not help much.. but ever the angel.. she did! Behind the scenes she had made calls to her husband, who is a reindeer herder, he had made calls to other reindeer herders.. asking them not to shoot if they saw Dex and to advise if they had. Minna made calls to friends she could think of that lived in our area. One of them was Sanne, whom I had met just a few days prior, whom Minna used to work with. <br /><br />Sanne had taken it upon herself to call people that she knew, sent loads of texts.... and she was the one that rang Minna to say that she has had a call from another reindeer herder who had seen Dexter at Midnight , closer to Sanne's home area... which is a couple of kilometers back from the mast...so although six hours later than the previous sighting he was still fairly local. Then she herself saw Dexter! So Minna was ringing us to say, get to Sanne's road.. you might find Dexter! <br /><br />Elated, we headed back south down the road we were on, to Sanne's road. It backs on to both forest and swampland. When we arrived, both she and her husband were waiting. As synchronicity would have it, Sanne had a day off with her husband.. otherwise she would not have been there! She showed where she had seen Dexter.. and her husband drove up the road to look elsewhere. Whilst we were with Sanne, he called to say.. I can see Dexter! Mark went dashing up to join him, in our car. I stayed on foot with Sanne. Unfortunately by the time Mark got there, Sanne's husband said Dexter had dashed off again, scared by strangers calling for him. <br /><br />For a good half hour, we went back and forth up and down that road, with Dexter playing us all for fools! He can run fast that boy! Mark and I didn't see him.. but others were. He entered the swamp area and out again.. into the residential area, over to and into the forest! It was crazy. Then finally, Sanne's husband pointed out of his car, to Mark in his... and Mark saw, for the first time.. DEXTER! Mark jumped out of the car and called his baby.. he expected that Dex would just come over to him, him being his Dad and all... but Dexter would not comply. He was simply so spooked by being chased back and forth by vehicles and people that he didnt know, all calling him!! <br /><br />Dexter went deeper into the forest. Mark had to bring the car to an abrupt halt, because the forest road just suddenly ended.. and despite having a very poorly ankle, he tried to go after him in a hurry. Dexter just disappeared again.. leaving poor Mark upset and confounded. <br /><br />Sanne said to me that if Dexter was going over the ridge, that the other side was where the pet cemetery and the horse racing track was... so whilst Mark was in the forest on one side of the ridge, Sanne and I took to the other side. I called Jake at home, to tell him to come outside of our home and across the road.. which is a little further south than the cemetery area. <br /><br />Sanne and I waited twenty minutes until Sanne said that if he had not appeared by then, he was not going to.. that maybe he would appear at another point along the road. Good grief! Where was this dog? Then my phone rang again.. from someone in my own road! She said she had just seen him and was trying to catch him. I called Jake to tell him to get home.. and also Mark. Mark was deep in forest still.. and Jake was in a bog! :D <br /><br />We turned Sanne's car around and sped home. There as we drove up my road was this wonderful woman, Eva I believe her name is, holding her dog and MY dog Dexter! I could have cried. Dexter was SO happy to see me! As I was him! He was all over me. Big hugs all round for everyone involved. <br /><br />I rang Mark and Jake. I told Mark I had him. 'What do you mean, you have him? asked Mark. 'You mean you have him in your hands, literally?' 'Yes, I have him on the lead! He is safe!' Choking back tears, Mark fell to his knees to greet his best buddy who was just as pleased to see him! 'You idiot' he said to Dexter.. 'that was me before!! It was me!!' <br /><br />It turned out that during this last part, another phone call Mark had received to say that a man had seen Dexter crossing the road near our home. It would seem that from Sanne's husband being in one point, Mark in another.. Jake nearer home and Sanne and I at another point. somehow we had triangulated our positions and given him a scent and sound to follow and get back on track. He was after all in an area that he had never been before. <br /><br />Such a relief. After which there was so much happy vibes at home, on facebook, over the internet and via texts. Dexter was a mess, was worn out and very pleased to be back home. He had been missing a hellish 24.5 hours and looking for a dog in forest is no easy feat. Without the help and support of everyone involved, it may not have happened! If Mark had not gone out to the places he did, with the posters it might not have happened. It really was a needle in a haystack scenario. <br /><br />Later that day, we went back up, in the daylight, to Fluffy's grave. Dexter howled like crazy. He actually seemed to be saying.. 'Please don't leave me here! I don't want to be alone!' Mark reminded him, that is was him that had left US not the other way around!!! He slept like a log.. as did we later that night! <br /><br />Dexter is now back in training. Boot camp style and he seems to be really enjoying it. Mark is going back over every inch of training that he has ever had and is taking him to areas that he has not been to before, to knock the curiosity factor. <br /><br />Dexter, Mark and I would like to thank VERY MUCH everyone that helped when we needed it. <br /><br />Fluffy also finally got her grave nice and tidied. Bless her. We really miss our girl 'Fluffstuff - Fluffskus' <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcgPBZD6Jdw2GEgnkUbcqHeuPvH7Jiy4adyBrkv_hDZ0lqjhzaT-IF7tHf35qeBHzP-koBy8wIWgNHMearkm0XxjGJUqqQn29wbk7-WjUwFe5mY2nZ6Vfzus1DyPsxS66UsjuzGPMpW_E/s1600/FluffyHeadstone500.2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcgPBZD6Jdw2GEgnkUbcqHeuPvH7Jiy4adyBrkv_hDZ0lqjhzaT-IF7tHf35qeBHzP-koBy8wIWgNHMearkm0XxjGJUqqQn29wbk7-WjUwFe5mY2nZ6Vfzus1DyPsxS66UsjuzGPMpW_E/s400/FluffyHeadstone500.2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531665020973936002" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiU9ryADLfL04NqyPG-GB-mj-y_6okHByqUNnXWu8gQ1Hx2dXEz0TRGoeZhf1a7lNtUDxzxo0Q7-pFzk4B3NVry-wfESpalIxaxrX_wQ4UPYIitVTGB3D5aFS7X9OOnu9OtfmBF6LqgCT/s1600/FluffysGrave2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiU9ryADLfL04NqyPG-GB-mj-y_6okHByqUNnXWu8gQ1Hx2dXEz0TRGoeZhf1a7lNtUDxzxo0Q7-pFzk4B3NVry-wfESpalIxaxrX_wQ4UPYIitVTGB3D5aFS7X9OOnu9OtfmBF6LqgCT/s400/FluffysGrave2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531665261730753186" /></a><br /><br />Happier days... playing twig-tug-o-war<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnUeWtTv6aQuZi-jY_K0dwid7ilTqhvnlQ9kbX09blDk4prSy57Pitz4kFlTWrixMjukRp0tXJ0ULaH4ZGqyLljG3xlC-gghnB6kA346TF-wI1iqJObD8Xu0n-BQUuqKG_tyCRKjEsVXe/s1600/FluffyDexTwigTugOWar.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnUeWtTv6aQuZi-jY_K0dwid7ilTqhvnlQ9kbX09blDk4prSy57Pitz4kFlTWrixMjukRp0tXJ0ULaH4ZGqyLljG3xlC-gghnB6kA346TF-wI1iqJObD8Xu0n-BQUuqKG_tyCRKjEsVXe/s400/FluffyDexTwigTugOWar.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531698450952281122" /></a><br /><br />Copyright Information<br /><br />All content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-20372979599962613242010-09-29T23:53:00.013+03:002010-09-30T01:03:34.030+03:00Ten<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOxoasBkbO6LZGlad1Ewt8N7vK5FCsWrwogqYjHkseo4D3l2ymwKnwVGRMxtf3qSThYX8QlYzhC829_f4o_Jx-n5SjHFADpv_tCyn4cRphD_-cTY7UAcSo6DhtPikD_9kDUORrL4POsIz/s1600/tenballoon.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOxoasBkbO6LZGlad1Ewt8N7vK5FCsWrwogqYjHkseo4D3l2ymwKnwVGRMxtf3qSThYX8QlYzhC829_f4o_Jx-n5SjHFADpv_tCyn4cRphD_-cTY7UAcSo6DhtPikD_9kDUORrL4POsIz/s400/tenballoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522451022901169410" border="0" /></a><br />Have you noticed the forthcoming date of interest? A magickal mystical date of note? Well perhaps it is... we shall have to wait and see if it is... You've not noticed it? What date is it? It is the 10th of October 2010. What is so special about that you may wonder... well, OK.. I'll put it another way then.. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >10.10.10.</span></span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">See?</span><br /><br />Now surely that does not happen very often does it? To answer my own question... nope...it does NOT and it will not do so again for a good many years hence.. long, long after we are all dead, our children are dead, even their grandchildren are dead. Scary thought isn't it... that is a L>O>N>G time. So, is this significant? Are we lucky to be living to see this?<br /><br />Well, if you like numbers, or are spiritually inclined then you might be apt to thinking so. I remember thinking something similar on my birthday, 20th January 2001... I thought that I was lucky to be celebrating my big day on that date. 20.01.2001. It probably slipped by unnoticed by many other people though. However, 10.10.10 seems a biggie to me...although to others it will just be a number and nothing unusual.. just a quirk of fate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd6AmtPwelk3x0BKUZ_L87YN4TxP2o8Muad9J8Z4aC1mmxPHQRyiffgTbP9FWjd3Ket2_T0v1nyuH54ltAdTYlSP7FUSJTmAMKSByrExxTzG9mHLy5CKhDrzcyu93WymLHaKpVr2gIW5b/s1600/ten2.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd6AmtPwelk3x0BKUZ_L87YN4TxP2o8Muad9J8Z4aC1mmxPHQRyiffgTbP9FWjd3Ket2_T0v1nyuH54ltAdTYlSP7FUSJTmAMKSByrExxTzG9mHLy5CKhDrzcyu93WymLHaKpVr2gIW5b/s400/ten2.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522448723224289618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What does a ten mean?</span><br /><br />A tarot reader like me, would instantly say tens mean completion or the end of a cycle. A mathematician would say ten is one of just four 'perfect numbers' (3, 7, 10, 12) and that ten means the end of one series and the beginning of another..ie 11 and onwards. It is said to signify divine order and it creates decimals to build on.<br /><br />More simply it is the stronghold of our lives.. there are ten main regions on our planet and the number ten creates our decades, centuries and even our millennia. It used to be that our year had only ten months until someone clever came along to give out more birthdays! :D We also celebrate our special anniversaries by the tens.<br /><br />In the UK, the Prime Minister lives at number 10 Downing street. Did you know that the 10 used to be part of 3? Two perfect numbers! Yes, 10 Downing Street used to be three homes, but was knocked into one. (and still they moan it is tooooo small!!) Ok... I little off topic there, but it is still interesting! Ten is ever present, hey we even have ten fingers.. well, <span style="font-style: italic;">hopefully</span>.. and those fingers complete tasks just like other tens.<br /><br />Looking at the numbers themselves, the One is the perfect creation of matter being born and a Zero is seen as completion because it is drawn as a total circle, yet it is also the Void, from where all matter comes! It would seem to be a reverent number, would it not, a ten?<br /><br />The Bible references amounts in ten quite frequently, the most obvious being the ten commandments, ten plagues, ten nations and the ten 'I am' statements of Jesus. Ten is a significant number.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzV2NlMleTfFWj_MT9H0I-edXmyvoNuWUsxpyvhGjovluzeaxfz01AFZnccfsN90q9FB9ScuYicvWQ12Mvh4VUGE-QY3RW_qe4j-QmnqXRAdIQqLqBEhGlPnogRHwGxq8uu8Bu0y2apKGY/s1600/Ten.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzV2NlMleTfFWj_MT9H0I-edXmyvoNuWUsxpyvhGjovluzeaxfz01AFZnccfsN90q9FB9ScuYicvWQ12Mvh4VUGE-QY3RW_qe4j-QmnqXRAdIQqLqBEhGlPnogRHwGxq8uu8Bu0y2apKGY/s400/Ten.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522448617281535810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ten is also important in many other religions.. so many I will not go into them all.. but in Judaic traditions most notably there is the Ten days of repentance that run from the Jewish New Year (Rosh HaShanah to Yom Kippur). Upon completion of those ten days, the priest will say the name of God ten times. Yom Kippur is the day when God finalizes his Rosh HaShana decisions about who shall live and who shall die, who shall suffer and who shall prosper, in the coming year. Again with the end of a cycle and completions. Yom Kippur itself is even on the 10th day of the month. What is it about ten?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxarOmS-1ypVC7eZ-Qy8XzJLPm8Ycar0XQ7E1AaqN4Kblsi7dolmtZMyeByf1wA3cvdDqj0taT3hOyBcBZzc_qmIbaAhlWQxx8EwgKlm_l52gaBE-bbv0BVYP3PNxgITVnnfUZowDjtT4/s1600/ten_logo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 345px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxarOmS-1ypVC7eZ-Qy8XzJLPm8Ycar0XQ7E1AaqN4Kblsi7dolmtZMyeByf1wA3cvdDqj0taT3hOyBcBZzc_qmIbaAhlWQxx8EwgKlm_l52gaBE-bbv0BVYP3PNxgITVnnfUZowDjtT4/s400/ten_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522452684475790514" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In Chinese 'Ancestor Veneration' traditions, after ten mortuary rites are given in our living world, the dead then move through ten courts of judgement within the underworld before any possible arrival of salvation. The family of the deceased have to complete rituals to ensure that each 'stay' in each of the ten courts is not too long. Again a process and completion. Again ten!<br /><br />The Kabbalist Tree of Life symbol has ten esoteric points upon it which represent the process by which the Universe came into existence. The Tree of Life is often referenced to show the lineage from our human subconscious, all the way to our higher self or spirit and the matrix between them. Again a process and completion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAiUgVxhoqf17KaSlk9LB7Zt9x37FEs56QXTpFAMhPvq6MKA9KCVKz_aVQI8Pqh5uW2zyv-EWjE_WMDuzlgxDEQDDIahwzP5PVbYlDh6NSl_RBV59gb59xgNp3RSo_8yRnzBr289mcyde/s1600/Qabbalah-Tree-of-Life.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAiUgVxhoqf17KaSlk9LB7Zt9x37FEs56QXTpFAMhPvq6MKA9KCVKz_aVQI8Pqh5uW2zyv-EWjE_WMDuzlgxDEQDDIahwzP5PVbYlDh6NSl_RBV59gb59xgNp3RSo_8yRnzBr289mcyde/s400/Qabbalah-Tree-of-Life.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522456614035765074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Even clever old Greek Pythagoras believed that ten was the number of the universe and expressed the whole of human knowledge. (Deep!) The Tetractys has a mathematical, mystical, sacred geometrical, complex meaning. The design of which holds significance for followers of the Kabbalah and Pythagoras. <br /><br />In its simplicity, the Tetractys is a triangle, comprised of ten points that range from a base level and rise up in four rows to reach a point. It is a symbol of earthly man rising up to Spirit. (In contrast, the upside down triangle is Spirit reaching down into man). Symbol of triangles like these are seen on Tarot cards, for example.. the upward triangle is shown clearly in the card of Temperance. (Look at the Angels chest)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQT1u1Oa3hp4LG6dDgk67kpfYNHu_VKJpQ3PbBu3Kdk5XWysADy9aFS16B8L2LEFqxg-K2of3VKxvvo_9mQ7KX62tmT7qG4c64m8x_u6bkjz_oGjVsSJJEWGEVYQTCLlwyJhTr-Jo7lNGy/s1600/the-temperance.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQT1u1Oa3hp4LG6dDgk67kpfYNHu_VKJpQ3PbBu3Kdk5XWysADy9aFS16B8L2LEFqxg-K2of3VKxvvo_9mQ7KX62tmT7qG4c64m8x_u6bkjz_oGjVsSJJEWGEVYQTCLlwyJhTr-Jo7lNGy/s400/the-temperance.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522452603388752786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In fact the Tetractys is just one of many possible tarot layouts, with ten cards in a four row pyramid. The top apex card is the significator. <br /><br />1 What you can see<br />2 What you can't see<br />3 What you can change<br />4 What you cannot change<br />5 What you can expect<br /><br />Two interesting Tarot links:<br /><a href="http://www.cs.utk.edu/%7Emclennan/BA/PT/D-tet.html">http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/PT/D-tet.html</a><br /><a href="http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=66985">http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=66985<br /></a><br /><br />Back to 10.10.10. <br /><br />Is it a time for us to aspire to spiritual or just overall growth or 'perfection' in ourselves? Are we going to be cast into a new time, a new cycle where everything is fresh and we learn from our past efforts? Is this a call for our own personal evolution? Is it nothing at all? it has been on my mind.. as you can tell!! (*Ten times over!*).<br /><br />Several years ago, I lost a friend on the 10th of October. I remember saying to him at the funeral parlour, 'Ten, Ten till we meet again'. Every year on that date, he is especially remembered. It is a date that always calls out to me. So, what of this year? More than any other year perhaps?<br /><br />So in conclusion... we have many types of tens... and many more I have not mentioned! What can it all mean that ten is used in so many ways and so profoundly? Does it indeed mean anything at all? I am left to wonder what 10.10.10 will mean for me, for you, for mankind, for the planet.<br /><br />Let's see... let me know!<br /><br /><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-53577364980286214462010-09-18T16:30:00.007+03:002010-09-18T16:38:28.255+03:00Moving house....Well yes.. but not how you think I meant it!!! <br /><br />My husband called out to me the other day.. 'Quick, get your camera!' So, I dashed over to the kitchen to see what the fuss was.. expecting really to see some Reindeer or something ambling around out there.... and <span style="font-style:italic;">what</span> was going past? <br /><br />A HOUSE! Well, that is a new one... that certainly does not happen everyday! <br /><br />It was of course, holding traffic up a bit.. not that we really suffer with lots of traffic here! I don't know where it came from.. or to where it was going...but I do know it went past my house...S.L.O.W.L.Y. <br /><br />:D <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBLmrM47lmylkSeW6IvXVedUanzri-mPnLSgXG2uuZeliE-8ZBs0GWfkH0eepL33e4RjQDNcJpd5zvNOZvUVI3BoB_bv94nWBEdMR0LSo0EtuXlPcqX6q5ftP24dDn81d8pAxr7lH4SXm/s1600/House1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBLmrM47lmylkSeW6IvXVedUanzri-mPnLSgXG2uuZeliE-8ZBs0GWfkH0eepL33e4RjQDNcJpd5zvNOZvUVI3BoB_bv94nWBEdMR0LSo0EtuXlPcqX6q5ftP24dDn81d8pAxr7lH4SXm/s400/House1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518246471751854066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXbfDlPE5rqyLzGgIae5iYqrXgmj_QdWmcSllzGv-VSAil83AAnDh1k-fv0ZQ1_nTPCOZb_MKXd0Z5b0h8LeKXlfoCF-dld_j6P1NA6bpeSC2bVzO3n8P52dkllqwCpZmjZxVRFbag4d-/s1600/House2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXbfDlPE5rqyLzGgIae5iYqrXgmj_QdWmcSllzGv-VSAil83AAnDh1k-fv0ZQ1_nTPCOZb_MKXd0Z5b0h8LeKXlfoCF-dld_j6P1NA6bpeSC2bVzO3n8P52dkllqwCpZmjZxVRFbag4d-/s400/House2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518246390610952210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xFvFUgQ_9vF4a6zwaMvuGRDz4jvi7Zs3F75XS6Qhqlluq0vXgiN3cnHgkbJ3C70NwK6o4pD2crq18VI0fbfbv3T7rULbIzMmdq8I19pBIRrxs1zHTGVDqlygFZG7HFXBNRieSbWC50F0/s1600/House3.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xFvFUgQ_9vF4a6zwaMvuGRDz4jvi7Zs3F75XS6Qhqlluq0vXgiN3cnHgkbJ3C70NwK6o4pD2crq18VI0fbfbv3T7rULbIzMmdq8I19pBIRrxs1zHTGVDqlygFZG7HFXBNRieSbWC50F0/s400/House3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518246312674245458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyhXLs4BnWSSGBUsEhrfaxbPT_QY9Bm-kmcHU0kb6jIj90WBzgigqFXDs0PExg0SRSO7YPnmr-WTEUUsna7go8PMsOQsTPsM-3-esFlMDDBPzPXsnbB3eqlZdJT7AqF6X3xGJYJezgdke/s1600/House4.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyhXLs4BnWSSGBUsEhrfaxbPT_QY9Bm-kmcHU0kb6jIj90WBzgigqFXDs0PExg0SRSO7YPnmr-WTEUUsna7go8PMsOQsTPsM-3-esFlMDDBPzPXsnbB3eqlZdJT7AqF6X3xGJYJezgdke/s400/House4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518246233572131474" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-65322571536680124932010-09-16T18:16:00.006+03:002010-09-16T18:28:52.828+03:00An amazing blogger! RESPECT (off topic)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6thaVkU6od2IzVdKkkqCw0VJ6eJEGMNprNXVxC6Qv1qGv7pSjAtI5xaWsv-wMRaSMs0ZsadWv96HL7hix_672gU_DA1D_VTiRR2XdhbXJgsEKH6oyeYFGL7XLOf17dY214PYqH7ZBzYM-/s1600/Picture+27.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 343px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6thaVkU6od2IzVdKkkqCw0VJ6eJEGMNprNXVxC6Qv1qGv7pSjAtI5xaWsv-wMRaSMs0ZsadWv96HL7hix_672gU_DA1D_VTiRR2XdhbXJgsEKH6oyeYFGL7XLOf17dY214PYqH7ZBzYM-/s400/Picture+27.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517533088139022754" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I just viewed this article on the BBC</span><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8999217.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8999217.stm</a><br /><br />It is all about one of my fellow bloggers in the blogosphere. I have never met her, she doesn't know me, she lives half a planet away.. and she is double my age. Yes, she is NINETY! How fantastic is that?<br /><br />Meet Phyllis Greene, who is in hospice care in Ohio.....<br /><br />Her blog is at <a href="http://wedeb90.blogspot.com/">http://wedeb90.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-52460249238537839782010-09-12T17:45:00.003+03:002010-09-12T18:32:45.186+03:00A slideshow of Autumn 2010 Sodankylä Lapland FinlandIt has been the colourful season! I thought this was the best way to share the amount of pictures I have taken. I hope you enjoy it. The colours continue... but many leaves are now shed. <br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-37.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=936748722516531255&site=widget-37.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:400px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=ph&id=936748722516531255&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-37.slide.com/p1/936748722516531255/bb_t017_v000_s0ph_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=ph&id=936748722516531255&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-37.slide.com/p2/936748722516531255/bb_t017_v000_s0ph_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=ph&id=936748722516531255&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-37.slide.com/p4/936748722516531255/bb_t017_v000_s0ph_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-66652846042455912462010-09-10T17:32:00.024+03:002010-09-10T21:01:25.192+03:00The cost of food shopping in Finland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5shQfoQsAZgIOHl7TjfW-fXE5dRr8aHvZoUj3e4uAD9lLigx3lIfW9OoFy8NajN0Sl7xsaK6Ynge-utIZCm4WpHZ8rmVzaltvB1qJWGwbTR7ZXHA8At92oshGYVX9KRjf8_qrk3jOOWvy/s1600/blogfood2.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5shQfoQsAZgIOHl7TjfW-fXE5dRr8aHvZoUj3e4uAD9lLigx3lIfW9OoFy8NajN0Sl7xsaK6Ynge-utIZCm4WpHZ8rmVzaltvB1qJWGwbTR7ZXHA8At92oshGYVX9KRjf8_qrk3jOOWvy/s400/blogfood2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515318693354941058" border="0" /></a>Many people ask me about the cost of living in Finland. To me, everything seems expensive. Not only because of high VAT, but also because things just seem to be given a silly price tag in Finland.<br /><br />For example, I was looking at mattresses and beds lately (a blog for the future) OMG! Horrendously expensive!!!<br /><br />I have though, been meaning to run a blog of the price of food for ages.. but just not got around to it. Last week, I did a small food shop and remembered to take a few photos. *It just goes to show that my husband is so used to my weird ways, when he did NOT think I had lost the plot, taking photos of our shopping!!* <br /><br />I am curious to know how these prices relate to that near you. I know they seem a lot more to me than I would be paying in the UK ...and I have not lived there for six years. I may be out of touch. Realistically, I did not buy that much. I also used up a variety of vouchers and saved 6.90€ against the bill, which was 68.81€ as a final figure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpriFNXfuXtufPSb1Sj3abisSnsAW33QrPeDKNhPEMPAcND30G9oKsxzuoB5jGwN9NzxcTaqRPkhEXur-hzAZvje_i8NtvN30AObnc-8KH2YGEswia8Gw0f8CE7yfMsHtz66PASxnMfMNX/s1600/Picture+13.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 177px; height: 61px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpriFNXfuXtufPSb1Sj3abisSnsAW33QrPeDKNhPEMPAcND30G9oKsxzuoB5jGwN9NzxcTaqRPkhEXur-hzAZvje_i8NtvN30AObnc-8KH2YGEswia8Gw0f8CE7yfMsHtz66PASxnMfMNX/s400/Picture+13.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515328053367771410" /></a><br /><br />Reductions are quite common in the shop I shop at, which is the Valintalo in Sodankylä. I think it is a really good shop and whilst it doesn't have everything I need...and I have to go to Lidls or KMarket to buy other bits and pieces.. we do do the vast majority of our shopping there. The staff are good and very friendly. We know them well now.<br /><br />My first reduction was 1.30€ for pullonpalautus (bottle returns). This is quite usual all over Finland, but something that stopped in the UK, many years ago. When buying a bottle of something, (fizzy drink or alcohol) you have to pay a bottle excess charge, but you get this back, upon the safe return of the bottle, as long as the barcode label is still on it. It used to be that the machines gave you back cash, but now it prints a receipt which you hand to the cashier. I think it is good to have a system like this, it is a much greater greener initiative. The only downside for me, is that it does not extend to all bottles and containers, like shampoo bottles, squash/juice bottles etc.<br /><br />Large coca-cola sized bottles are worth 40c back, smaller bottles 20c, glass bottles 10c and tins, (beer, guinness etc) vary. As you might tell, with just 1.30€ for returns, we do not drink a lot of alcohol! In fact, most of our returns are on fizzy drink bottles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9kVpvuSOszvL4kIeUmjzOD3yHl9rO_TVGvdOIio-l4b_gypCzx3IA2bFTsPh-ReJvH4q5sn4XtCKBQZVuRKArHAL2bW_0fixdbmyXKPtL0cOlJZOvtnTxKkUazYvJDGLinEPY2Ysi3lp/s1600/BottleRecycling.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9kVpvuSOszvL4kIeUmjzOD3yHl9rO_TVGvdOIio-l4b_gypCzx3IA2bFTsPh-ReJvH4q5sn4XtCKBQZVuRKArHAL2bW_0fixdbmyXKPtL0cOlJZOvtnTxKkUazYvJDGLinEPY2Ysi3lp/s400/BottleRecycling.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515296251514984994" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73Fk87NfaHedWYYouKiKRh0giw57ojDeSTY1vExE-3L1pvMSve225X2_KrcSewjUE29bdLmbzSB8q6YxOnRd9hCEmr2orE9-6UvN9-Nc6evNIePT7eHmVdTlOce_cneMHquooPZ-O-929/s1600/PanttiPrices.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73Fk87NfaHedWYYouKiKRh0giw57ojDeSTY1vExE-3L1pvMSve225X2_KrcSewjUE29bdLmbzSB8q6YxOnRd9hCEmr2orE9-6UvN9-Nc6evNIePT7eHmVdTlOce_cneMHquooPZ-O-929/s400/PanttiPrices.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515296398237031378" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I also had collected some stickers from a gift collection that the Valintatalo had been running, but had chosen not to buy the 'supposed reduced priced' items that were on offer. For each row of stickers you can claw back 0.20€ and a whole pamphlet full of stickers, a euro. Not a lot really.. but it is all money after all! So, I surrendered those. I had 5.60€ worth. I always ask for the stickers. I think the staff know me as 'sticker woman' or better still as the '30% off sticker woman'! :D<br /><br />Valintatalo is quite unusual in the fact that more often than other shops, they do use an orange reduction sticker on goods if they are running low on dates and oftentimes, items are not even close to useby dates, they just want to clear space. It used to be a 50% sticker, but these days it is 30%. I guess even big companies are feeling the pinch. I am not ashamed to say that I buy most of my meat that way. Even if I do not need it at the time, it goes into the freezer until I do. It all helps a budget. Meat is a horrendous price here, so it makes sense to do that in my book! :D<br /><br />Here is the list of what I bought last week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jauheliha mureke</span> (This was a type of meatloaf I was actually quite surprised at this price - most unusual - plus when we baked it, it was very nice...although I did wrap it in bacon slices first!) You can see this on the left hand corner, in a black box. <span style="font-weight: bold;">3.79 € </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Fazer Maitosuklaa </span>200g (essential chocolate!) <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.69 €</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fanta Mandariini 1.5L</span> (on special but excluded the bottle charge) <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.29€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coca-Cola 1.5L</span> (excluded the bottle charge) <span style="font-weight: bold;">2.19€ </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pullopantti</span> (bottle charges) <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">2 x 0.40</span> € <span style="font-weight: bold;">0.80€ </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Päärynä Guyot</span> (fresh Pears) 583g 2.19€ @ 1.99kg <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.16€ </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1DllOwQsdJGVMJ50W817FZ2Quq4nROnQFVsopJyQUFdjghOiCiWvipu7XiSIVv_zseUvivPorCtCx6UcGJOu_76h-1ZTkvU_yo5BLQttMXqBXZ0vF-0VKL3Ejv0WJykU9wcBowb65zx7/s1600/blogpairs.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1DllOwQsdJGVMJ50W817FZ2Quq4nROnQFVsopJyQUFdjghOiCiWvipu7XiSIVv_zseUvivPorCtCx6UcGJOu_76h-1ZTkvU_yo5BLQttMXqBXZ0vF-0VKL3Ejv0WJykU9wcBowb65zx7/s400/blogpairs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515317410672440242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sitruuna</span> (fresh Lemons) 0,546g @ 3.79kg <span style="font-weight: bold;">2.07€</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfFbKpcawEF7eZcjCXmwoyfJBD-N0C7JJBXRH580EWXmyEUC4ClIBeJoTaaHYvlxIZRuorQp6urIZDLCCVgMXW-Z9HQINrifDRhf2Re_0kpnN1xlKAGmUkAkXSEH9C-6lxRTicQ1ewZul/s1600/bloglemons.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfFbKpcawEF7eZcjCXmwoyfJBD-N0C7JJBXRH580EWXmyEUC4ClIBeJoTaaHYvlxIZRuorQp6urIZDLCCVgMXW-Z9HQINrifDRhf2Re_0kpnN1xlKAGmUkAkXSEH9C-6lxRTicQ1ewZul/s400/bloglemons.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515317308334657010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paikkakunnan Peruna</span> (fresh local potatoes) 776g at 1.25€ per kg <span style="font-weight: bold;">2.22€ </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvxThB2AmvU6GRMT4HG1Xg8dODu5tws2JhekWsgS8i7JTtC6pqU52WFUUBrB-Z3UlqX6gmZoOdoMl8vTyseUZPXyoBkzRxtIR7KNG3wgVo1b0yT_CdpnhnKzKvYsrUOtoLBqhPecrlYdk/s1600/BlogPots.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvxThB2AmvU6GRMT4HG1Xg8dODu5tws2JhekWsgS8i7JTtC6pqU52WFUUBrB-Z3UlqX6gmZoOdoMl8vTyseUZPXyoBkzRxtIR7KNG3wgVo1b0yT_CdpnhnKzKvYsrUOtoLBqhPecrlYdk/s400/BlogPots.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515317496594354546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pall Mall Blue</span> 30g (loose tobacco) <span style="font-weight: bold;">3.25€ </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pedigree Pal Kana</span> (tube of dog food) <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.79€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Taloussokeri</span> 1kg (granulated sugar) <span style="font-weight: bold;">0.99€ </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quaker Ruis Fras (cereal)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">3.39€ </span><br />(actually this was supposed to be on special with 30% off, but I have just noticed whilst doing this blog tha we didn't get the reduction on the receipt!) It should have been 2.37€ .... just goes to show I need to check my receipt better!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Atria Broileri Paisti</span> (fresh chicken breasts) 700g <span style="font-weight: bold;">4.49€ </span><br />In Finland, manufacturers like to pre-dress the breasts with some kind of sauce, but you can wash it off if you prefer!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPN98_Ea_sUSZmQCfFQWVvvukABVm025-JcX3oKV6AiB29N8DnXAUxlMPA-3s5LHOTWO-V0E66HK9Z59eDPJWFzJPIXF-Xy6SLlSDoXqPlo9kfwaqL-u3TrLEYzfJbeMRWgpWym652PEH/s1600/blogchicken.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPN98_Ea_sUSZmQCfFQWVvvukABVm025-JcX3oKV6AiB29N8DnXAUxlMPA-3s5LHOTWO-V0E66HK9Z59eDPJWFzJPIXF-Xy6SLlSDoXqPlo9kfwaqL-u3TrLEYzfJbeMRWgpWym652PEH/s400/blogchicken.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515317036057575202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Perhekalkkuna</span> (turkey slices) 250g 3.09€ /<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">30% off</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"> </span>/ <span style="font-weight: bold;">2,16€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rypäle Vihr</span> (fresh green grapes) 500g <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.79€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maissi</span> (frozen sweetcorn) 450g <span style="font-weight: bold;">1,29€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kevytmaito</span> 1.5L (semi skimmed milk) 1.19 <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">(x4)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">4.74€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meira Curry</span> (curry powder) 25g 0.95€ <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">(x2)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.90€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meira Inkivääri</span> (ginger powder) 22g <span style="font-weight: bold;">0.99€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meira Minttu</span> (dried mint) 8g <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.69€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marli Vital Puolukka 1L</span> (Cranberry type juice) <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.39€ </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Airam Vakiolamppu</span> (lightbulbs) <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.39€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ranksanleipa</span> 350g 0.89€ /<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">30%off</span>/ 0.62€ <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> x 2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> 1.24€</span> (a supposed French style bread unsliced but cheap by Finnish standards!)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pehtoori leipa</span> 2.19 /<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">30%off</span>/ 1.53€ <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">x 2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">3.06€ </span>(a country style slice loaf which makes up for the price of the french style!!) <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Valkpapu Tom</span> (Tinned baked beans) 420g 0.75€ <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">x2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.50€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomaattimurska</span> (crushed tinned tomatoes) 400g 0.49€ <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">x2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">0.98€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Liha maksa</span> (Friskies dried cat food) 2kg <span style="font-weight: bold;">5.89€ </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Energizer Hightech</span> (4 AA batteries) <span style="font-weight: bold;">5.49€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Powerlife Micro</span> (4 AAA batteries) <span style="font-weight: bold;">3.59€</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bio Luvil</span> 1.35kg (soap powder) <span style="font-weight: bold;">5.99€ </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora</span> (Margarine) 400g <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.49€</span><br /><br />Total 74.41€, which when less the vouchers was <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">68.81€</span>. All items are showing in the photograph other than the soap powder, tobacco and spices - which had already been put away and I had forgotten about! :D but the photo gives you a good idea of what the money is worth here. 68.81€ roughly equates to £57 UK pounds or $88 (US Dollars). Could you buy more or less with that money?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4Rr046RCHohnrYCLt0VQYzUdKeGkYWunkRULJgxIC68E0Wp4rHaD3_EP1hXxx9wh0EwhtHrKDa8TB6wDRS3Gpz7BQZ92v8OYDDas76F99PGQa0OGX_p9uVCk1vjnype_0aJr0iR3i4a_/s1600/blogfood1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4Rr046RCHohnrYCLt0VQYzUdKeGkYWunkRULJgxIC68E0Wp4rHaD3_EP1hXxx9wh0EwhtHrKDa8TB6wDRS3Gpz7BQZ92v8OYDDas76F99PGQa0OGX_p9uVCk1vjnype_0aJr0iR3i4a_/s400/blogfood1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515317122922995938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_llvKg6VtsN6DoHBRCMoD0XuhBfcVxPhh4zViv9tKUVZfHb1T-4eQUQgmETY2s53ZBLis1Zgby62vPBjnqH5vlunkIrgqFo54iVDXUT1ACdPnEBf1VdnoYnwhQrd75-WGCzJ2kEgEzmuD/s1600/Picture+30.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_llvKg6VtsN6DoHBRCMoD0XuhBfcVxPhh4zViv9tKUVZfHb1T-4eQUQgmETY2s53ZBLis1Zgby62vPBjnqH5vlunkIrgqFo54iVDXUT1ACdPnEBf1VdnoYnwhQrd75-WGCzJ2kEgEzmuD/s400/Picture+30.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515341616983784642" /></a><br /><br />One other benefit of Valintatalo is the Ukkosbonus euro - point/credit reward system which runs from 1st Sept to 1st Sept annually. Every December I get a wonderful bonus cheque back, redeemable in cash at the supermarket. Generally I get back about 200 euros or so. :D Very handy, just before Christmas! in my opinion, it is much better than occasional vouchers off in the post that come via other schemes. Herra Sentti (Mr Cent) is the cartoon like figurehead of the promotion and there are also several Herra Sentti 'stretch the cent' weeks when there are special offers available for anyone presenting their Ykkösbonus card upon transaction. In fact, that is on right now, until the 15th.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcDBKmchJi9d96ehHfxc0Nv8ZVsBvFQAaWqyesj6N_4MzucXQ1lcAAIAx-HAlDES8W9Hm0EEfI_ydgmcxOrinIocSpXCvqU09Fk2bXwvT8PPf4PSj3fdnObF4dpIqgaSETUz0tkxh8ccf/s1600/Picture+29.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcDBKmchJi9d96ehHfxc0Nv8ZVsBvFQAaWqyesj6N_4MzucXQ1lcAAIAx-HAlDES8W9Hm0EEfI_ydgmcxOrinIocSpXCvqU09Fk2bXwvT8PPf4PSj3fdnObF4dpIqgaSETUz0tkxh8ccf/s400/Picture+29.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515341905776649202" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />VAT in Finland, is currently 23% on food and 13% on non foods.<br /></span><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-10622682006518673632010-09-01T00:02:00.020+03:002010-09-01T01:25:00.907+03:00Bearing up to the Autumnal Lapland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZVysG4iQ4miw6cQqHFeLFYIGalPFOZww8ehW66WwFtE3zG2tqldCiZWTaTn98VG4Af10D2KPcatkBDczyfpWr5wCX6osOTaG15_idD3vwwc56xVF0q11ZdT8P-Z9ObktJVhZA84vUR7D/s1600/blogmoonheader.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZVysG4iQ4miw6cQqHFeLFYIGalPFOZww8ehW66WwFtE3zG2tqldCiZWTaTn98VG4Af10D2KPcatkBDczyfpWr5wCX6osOTaG15_idD3vwwc56xVF0q11ZdT8P-Z9ObktJVhZA84vUR7D/s400/blogmoonheader.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511695300220061234" border="0" /></a>So, this year's Lapland Summer has come to an end...it is always short...and we are now in Syksy (Autumn). <br /><br />In fact, August is partly Summer and partly Autumn.. and Autumn will be over in a couple of weeks time in all likelihood.<br /><br />Lapland is the region that has eight seasons of the year you see... YES.. Eight! They are Autumn-Winter, Winter, Spring-Winter, Spring, Spring-Summer, Summer, Summer- Autumn and of course Autumn.<br /><br />In August the berries popped up to say hello and 'Pick me! Pick me!' Autumn is the harvesting month when many Finns go off into the forests..and many foreigners also come to earn money from picking berries in the wild. It's not easy work though..the mosquitoes are around until mid August at least..and it is also back breaking when done for hours on end!<br /><br />The much missed Moon also came back to our sights... and I for one was so pleased to see her! Yet she also indicates that a coolness blows on the wind and Winter beckons from just over the hill. Then came the cold snaps at night, whilst we slept...(in the beautiful darkness). That has made for the colourful changes in the leaves around us. It really only takes a couple of nights to see the change! The Autumnal leaves display beautiful colours in Lapland. It depends on how cold the temperature drops as to how colourful they are. Many visitors visit Lapland now...especially for this seasonal change.<br /><br />I've had a full month during August, as you can see by the fact that I have not blogged. Amongst other things, I've taken time out to have a bit of fun and have got back into face painting... which is something I have not done since the lads were small. The main thing though, has been that our sons have moved out - so we have had a lot of arranging to do with regards to that and lots of travelling back and forth - fortunately all on beautifully sunny days!<br /><br />They are both in Rovaniemi now, 130kms away.. (week days anyway).. at two different places of study. They are growing up and our way of life is changing again.. just like the seasons. Here are a few of images from Rovaniemi.<br /><br />The beautiful Church in Rovaniemi<br /><a href="http://www.rovaniemi.fi/Kansainvalinen_sivusto/English/Culture/Architecture/Rovaniemi_Church.iw3">http://www.rovaniemi.fi/Kansainvalinen_sivusto/English/Culture/Architecture/Rovaniemi_Church.iw3</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_YX2QpvFJPPheBw-KsY0sWb-6zL8mYiEJyKr65q31v02_IaOfiy7KuLFz8zhTWNtOrvZRfR94tcCjbEhg3aLeMxsEDORXvytruuOiWkuxGte1-hHGScQb9RSqLx7yehcAJb4wOgy4fVH/s1600/rov.church.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_YX2QpvFJPPheBw-KsY0sWb-6zL8mYiEJyKr65q31v02_IaOfiy7KuLFz8zhTWNtOrvZRfR94tcCjbEhg3aLeMxsEDORXvytruuOiWkuxGte1-hHGScQb9RSqLx7yehcAJb4wOgy4fVH/s400/rov.church.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511694384404346546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Kirkkolampi pond next to the church, with its delightful fountain. I miss things like this in Sodankylä! Whilst Rovaniemi is more busy.. it does seem more cultured!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydf252JoaJXwkImzw63pjUOf9DAfJLsjOxYOVO1jKhM2kNYwN06RLdNdbo80zzEgt-v-wx31wfPGec6a5kbvByUamyqDhNFYSFngY_9ziy-YzICYxL1EjkJTdBJI7zjO56fwlJNpK3sPQ/s1600/kirkko.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydf252JoaJXwkImzw63pjUOf9DAfJLsjOxYOVO1jKhM2kNYwN06RLdNdbo80zzEgt-v-wx31wfPGec6a5kbvByUamyqDhNFYSFngY_9ziy-YzICYxL1EjkJTdBJI7zjO56fwlJNpK3sPQ/s400/kirkko.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511694262496192770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCOK2CbHyCZZKTquyysZoxjmR13A4eVvieu3IZodydnGamZzMLvXYirmnwRmdC9KlYMvD4FzfWenEkztW42yw5VhO5hS-2eFCdjDWK1gJmpvs-BZx1AUIkouBtfmRYQyneT8gsX3be__g/s1600/kirkkolampiRovaniemi.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCOK2CbHyCZZKTquyysZoxjmR13A4eVvieu3IZodydnGamZzMLvXYirmnwRmdC9KlYMvD4FzfWenEkztW42yw5VhO5hS-2eFCdjDWK1gJmpvs-BZx1AUIkouBtfmRYQyneT8gsX3be__g/s400/kirkkolampiRovaniemi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511694153436242946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The main thing that I do not like about this season is that it is the start of the hunting seasons. As a non Finn, I was not brought up to hunt and I do not like the culture of it .. at all. On day one of the Bear season, 24 beautiful Bears minimum were killed. <span style="font-weight:bold;">HIDE Bears HIDE! <span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjzFHo6sIMvsx9BD6gqdNhv7bC0s1gb5DU-YXR3q2rbdov8_Aa3apo9RDPmKm1L_tG268azG6fA1ndAu3P8EYYarE0deT2GNl-TGPeErQBDCFqu3SX8T4_pL8KGOHSsDfqHqnkRzrA2DL/s1600/YouCantSeeMe!.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjzFHo6sIMvsx9BD6gqdNhv7bC0s1gb5DU-YXR3q2rbdov8_Aa3apo9RDPmKm1L_tG268azG6fA1ndAu3P8EYYarE0deT2GNl-TGPeErQBDCFqu3SX8T4_pL8KGOHSsDfqHqnkRzrA2DL/s400/YouCantSeeMe!.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511699919891183570" /></a><br /><br />74 Bears have be taken overall from this region, as 'allowed' by government permit. Total amount however will be a whopping 198. It makes my heart bleed.<br /><a href="http://www.iltasanomat.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/uutinen.asp?id=2239616"><br />http://www.iltasanomat.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/uutinen.asp?id=2239616</a><br />You can drop this page into Google to translate it!<br /><br />Anyone that knows me, knows just how much <span style="font-weight:bold;">I LOVE BEARS<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>..so this season really pains me deeply. It annoys me intensely to see the photographs of hunts-people in the newspaper, proudly displaying their kill. They have the look of pride on their face.. as if it say.. "Look at big brave me, I have killed this Bear, this BEAST!" .. all I say is Yes, big brave you, with a GUN! Try it without, then see what you have to say about it! I appreciate the Bear is a dangerous animal in the wrong scenario.. but they still, in my opinion, deserve to live.. and they were here first!<br /><br />How could anyone hurt this gorgeous creature?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOaJ13TjwJekczZaGXmQmie_8xPq56mJ0Cg808GQZMSi0NGjYTcmBQwW7mQWDm2PR62wzp_vTYuTvq81lDZA9Tht-5r-m8RG_aAWoJ1SaiwPiLRWLrgz6nq8X5lGZoiwcrMAja07qfHOp/s1600/karhu...jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOaJ13TjwJekczZaGXmQmie_8xPq56mJ0Cg808GQZMSi0NGjYTcmBQwW7mQWDm2PR62wzp_vTYuTvq81lDZA9Tht-5r-m8RG_aAWoJ1SaiwPiLRWLrgz6nq8X5lGZoiwcrMAja07qfHOp/s400/karhu...jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511700194088136962" /></a><br /><br />Then it will be the Wolves and Wolverine, the bird/game season, the Moose season... For me, it is one big downside of Finland. Just as well we don't have Whales here!! OK.. rant over.<br /><br />On a nicer note.. Last week I went a picking berries from outside. Literally outside my house are Puolukka *Cranberry family, Blueberries and Juniper berries. Yummy. It certainly makes for some nice cakes! :D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzk9FdGMJwSWu91EmDSohMsF6HUL7IXRAsprKDz1e1Am1ggYBGMisF2R8uHWtJ9qRnEdlbcyCWLStX5wu1-5GD599PTXh66lcxq0DZpxBKA1WgllEA5Vwv3p7E_xDzKuHMd3oKQeNKC5Go/s1600/BerryPicker1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzk9FdGMJwSWu91EmDSohMsF6HUL7IXRAsprKDz1e1Am1ggYBGMisF2R8uHWtJ9qRnEdlbcyCWLStX5wu1-5GD599PTXh66lcxq0DZpxBKA1WgllEA5Vwv3p7E_xDzKuHMd3oKQeNKC5Go/s400/BerryPicker1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511702841141432594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiF_JhEqnKjstsw4AA76AGfto3uJ-sUKxSl_g6qDzIG0uMNLlUar0RpIioGyu0Efy0joW_VD1u3Msx1Is-5p57T7MA6WaOypjXB7OLYt0WRLsbsIzIroozauhhIHFqrVyqArMZR3DtTST/s1600/BerryPicker2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 344px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiF_JhEqnKjstsw4AA76AGfto3uJ-sUKxSl_g6qDzIG0uMNLlUar0RpIioGyu0Efy0joW_VD1u3Msx1Is-5p57T7MA6WaOypjXB7OLYt0WRLsbsIzIroozauhhIHFqrVyqArMZR3DtTST/s400/BerryPicker2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511702715819938066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1VKJ4WDui85-WT8T3EjsZbIhkLSOZI_G6th1E40j4nVXA5jrh5QQ6G4eQcp6rYCZUpJ2L9cZM1uxLz6jFIoBioSpmJxGu-v4dViUBBqwOXWMZcQ8UkClbI5_NhersT_YQ4Mxpp8ADK42/s1600/BerryPicker1.2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1VKJ4WDui85-WT8T3EjsZbIhkLSOZI_G6th1E40j4nVXA5jrh5QQ6G4eQcp6rYCZUpJ2L9cZM1uxLz6jFIoBioSpmJxGu-v4dViUBBqwOXWMZcQ8UkClbI5_NhersT_YQ4Mxpp8ADK42/s400/BerryPicker1.2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511691960028541394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JxnEFqSjornPXj4QlX7e4el6StTPjkxuvASszTqhph0shPoSqLV96iEl0o42xpnF-n7x0qwZikytXY3HzMP4Oyj5WIyVWMt4iWiDw3gwEaJ54PrwS72On-dhwt3dwLPmw0FGRKJC8BZU/s1600/BerryPicker4.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JxnEFqSjornPXj4QlX7e4el6StTPjkxuvASszTqhph0shPoSqLV96iEl0o42xpnF-n7x0qwZikytXY3HzMP4Oyj5WIyVWMt4iWiDw3gwEaJ54PrwS72On-dhwt3dwLPmw0FGRKJC8BZU/s400/BerryPicker4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511691509674357970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As you can see, I have a special berry contraption that acts like a big hair comb. It plucks the berries from the stems and they fall into the container. Mine was filled in just ten minutes. It is however, the sorting out of the berries afterwards that takes up most of your time! It is then that I wish I had a friendly berry elf. LIKE THIS FELLA! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JWK-BtjQeCFKgzXKzjA0pGL_2C3rlwoDXWxXgpMqk3Qq79x-HuzTQNc_Q9RLYqPACDElce5dV2PUkuUcjzSXiX8PBInOHPfuDcx7QQKZkh3YTVOr632ZMarjqdQSvluFdcWL4lZGIOZ9/s1600/BerryElf.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JWK-BtjQeCFKgzXKzjA0pGL_2C3rlwoDXWxXgpMqk3Qq79x-HuzTQNc_Q9RLYqPACDElce5dV2PUkuUcjzSXiX8PBInOHPfuDcx7QQKZkh3YTVOr632ZMarjqdQSvluFdcWL4lZGIOZ9/s400/BerryElf.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511692545747683490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Copyright Information<br /><br />All content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-81442128096528130312010-07-30T21:28:00.002+03:002010-07-30T21:32:01.399+03:00Happy 22nd Wedding Anniversary to my husband - SpeechlessThank you my darling! This blog is simple, short and unequivocal.<br />'Speechless' by the late Mr Michael Jackson pretty much sums it up...<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">I LOVE MY HUSBAND.....</span><br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hffSKn9BQc0&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hffSKn9BQc0&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-33257294454499882932010-07-26T22:40:00.018+03:002010-07-26T22:55:51.502+03:00One misty summer morning in LaplandThese images were taken from my kitchen window, several weeks back now... in June.. one misty morning... I just forgot to upload them! It was really eery... it was about 4am if I recall.... <br /><br />I couldn't decide which ones to load.. so I loaded them all!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGecCuNmk-m_95JMc3pP08NoE2d9REi44wIQPdz5NWKptFzljkcaGmPVD095o4ZCokz8G_UJnDAVchDDZhvhyEMO1kkLn1lCNPerF_yYJmiOVSYkK2uZ_S9lKG2ZoPtKX-TzexB5SV_JN/s1600/BlogFog1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGecCuNmk-m_95JMc3pP08NoE2d9REi44wIQPdz5NWKptFzljkcaGmPVD095o4ZCokz8G_UJnDAVchDDZhvhyEMO1kkLn1lCNPerF_yYJmiOVSYkK2uZ_S9lKG2ZoPtKX-TzexB5SV_JN/s400/BlogFog1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498305223210779586" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpoBiqkJ88EX2TaJR6MMCB7EH75QSxKNz6TxNr-9BiXp9oYoIG30rRMqgT6YAMTfXzoMrTaoA5qhRiqsF4VoKMqftpnf05MiDj5FMvq0A9abcH__HZL3h2vYJeGgwmMmJ-sPcPYaCU6pr/s1600/BlogFog2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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(I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-4755413130192968212010-07-07T16:11:00.010+03:002010-07-07T17:14:14.694+03:00Finland's Weather Frog predicts....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dhhUCXho5FAGedlMI4PRMKkPwMAkyR1kQKhK4xeCO2MGQglVgPiJTxD1L1DKCUcOKf-I54fo70SRIkVVTh3aH8hqg2-GyzLOB5cgTtlbjRGtzMmkeP2R-KO1F_MFUBxn4xjEOSmPKvN5/s1600/Picture+13.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dhhUCXho5FAGedlMI4PRMKkPwMAkyR1kQKhK4xeCO2MGQglVgPiJTxD1L1DKCUcOKf-I54fo70SRIkVVTh3aH8hqg2-GyzLOB5cgTtlbjRGtzMmkeP2R-KO1F_MFUBxn4xjEOSmPKvN5/s400/Picture+13.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491164039390367682" border="0" /></a><br />Did you know that the Finns have an alternative to the Groundhog? :D<br />Finlands Froggie prognosticator is <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Professori Sammakko</span> (also known as Taisto Heikkinen of Hyrynsalmi).<br /><br />I recently discovered the Sammakko's pages.... and so far the Finnish folks froggie friend seems to be quite correct!! <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" >(She says whilst looking at a dour, grey, thoroughly wet and dreary summers day through the window...</span>)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Professori Sammakko</span> predicted a pretty good June (which it was) and Midsummer season. He is famous apparently for his often incomprehensible accurately weather forecasts!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0K-esvwUrdzehqpiaJ2qjoXyMHiRaspsnIyLhsnbruABOZMRQr0U3l45v5NcGrjLtFUrT5Ev2b2WDCxSazYP6s9C8US-1m-3llFC-1DHIRUV2TpT57I7q90fNgFuSRH75lVQhh-NxsOzg/s1600/a4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0K-esvwUrdzehqpiaJ2qjoXyMHiRaspsnIyLhsnbruABOZMRQr0U3l45v5NcGrjLtFUrT5Ev2b2WDCxSazYP6s9C8US-1m-3llFC-1DHIRUV2TpT57I7q90fNgFuSRH75lVQhh-NxsOzg/s400/a4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491153965478876370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPO6riw6M2RYOTOJtf1cv6gvFoqgKxzYSD0xIWFqDCSP5L95GrfI2lWnTNPdoex0ZZKmlstqUYls3Xl9vc3pR71L-V29D8Qoq-ljvWFTLFPLAcIkJFCSuM0Y-4xRCwQHdCDr4WjivC1oR/s1600/a2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPO6riw6M2RYOTOJtf1cv6gvFoqgKxzYSD0xIWFqDCSP5L95GrfI2lWnTNPdoex0ZZKmlstqUYls3Xl9vc3pR71L-V29D8Qoq-ljvWFTLFPLAcIkJFCSuM0Y-4xRCwQHdCDr4WjivC1oR/s400/a2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491154291809328466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Frog said that June would be good, but that in July it would rain. (It rains as I write!) Throughout July, the air will apparently be good and not cold, but after the 10th it will rain for several days. (Here we go......)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcL7nhU_R_pITe7PV_WhC2DCaL0z4z5QVpCCMEzXGDMLPy6HW94KUw1HB6QG326RT_7SWtBcAd5Q0ZTciUGfkG7t8QWa6h5gLSzPPI3nRsL_89DxBbnVbwSBZLAMGe2Q3Gs6d3VvMMan7/s1600/a3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcL7nhU_R_pITe7PV_WhC2DCaL0z4z5QVpCCMEzXGDMLPy6HW94KUw1HB6QG326RT_7SWtBcAd5Q0ZTciUGfkG7t8QWa6h5gLSzPPI3nRsL_89DxBbnVbwSBZLAMGe2Q3Gs6d3VvMMan7/s400/a3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491154086116664562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />August will be hot with some places seeing over 30 degrees centrigrade (HOORAY!) and most areas will be having 25 to 30 degrees. The berry season will be moderate or perhaps fairly good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcjgKeABBU_GhiJYixFN8qz3QpxE1covmuGrg0Ts6frF_dqpr_ZBEnek3VfFrhlhyphenhyphenJ3hrcDuoE3Uh-fYaQNVxMDBDUM3OQuXg85nDag-nJGBOh2WYTRijs7NX_0IfZ6UDiOqmzf01y8ug/s1600/a1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcjgKeABBU_GhiJYixFN8qz3QpxE1covmuGrg0Ts6frF_dqpr_ZBEnek3VfFrhlhyphenhyphenJ3hrcDuoE3Uh-fYaQNVxMDBDUM3OQuXg85nDag-nJGBOh2WYTRijs7NX_0IfZ6UDiOqmzf01y8ug/s400/a1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491154188653863346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We shall have to see about the rest.... surely it cant be the same ALL over Finland!! :D<br /><br />This is todays weather... oh yeah... GREAT... not.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBaz_B6ESFZkSV_SOViqgJyaKMZ63mqRrM7sRxDULTxT1myTKGwJkX8X-X0_wlbqXVwkasCgGWH98ERvGllOu0lv6WJm56r1bZEVlTtMS1RuSkdBGw3rY5bv000ModNY8F7zMbqdBSqko/s1600/Picture+12.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBaz_B6ESFZkSV_SOViqgJyaKMZ63mqRrM7sRxDULTxT1myTKGwJkX8X-X0_wlbqXVwkasCgGWH98ERvGllOu0lv6WJm56r1bZEVlTtMS1RuSkdBGw3rY5bv000ModNY8F7zMbqdBSqko/s400/Picture+12.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491162436513444674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If you want to find out more you will need to read Finnish or use the Google translator!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.puolanka-lehti.fi/sammakkoprofessori/ennustukset.htm">http://www.puolanka-lehti.fi/sammakkoprofessori/ennustukset.htm</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><br />Oh and NOTE TO AMEL.. This is one frog you CAN'T eat! :D</span><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-52865806710199484562010-06-26T15:14:00.015+03:002010-06-26T18:51:15.362+03:00Hyvää Juhannusta! and some pagan christian ramblings...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vw67Pu8SEltLE-CI3GGR51ODebgjatD8afjemUzhuPtNy6Oaow2jnXZApJ2YJgmZOqy31T9lzjTrul-nfPPJ_lQ4v3UiL9yT-IYrIoX5RaA-cbTUvVAnQ6vgPdxLQCwxFpMSFfc7xutv/s1600/Picture+1.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vw67Pu8SEltLE-CI3GGR51ODebgjatD8afjemUzhuPtNy6Oaow2jnXZApJ2YJgmZOqy31T9lzjTrul-nfPPJ_lQ4v3UiL9yT-IYrIoX5RaA-cbTUvVAnQ6vgPdxLQCwxFpMSFfc7xutv/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487098993090979810" border="0" /></a>Paganism was widespread throughout Europe in early times and Finland was no exception. Up until the year 1316 (and so I've read, even into the 1800's of orthodox southern Karelia) the time now reserved on Finnish calendars as Juhannus was actually a celebration of nature and especially of Ukko, the sky and weather Thunder God.<br /><br />The time then was called Ukon juhla. There would be Thunder festivals of light, fertility and for guaranteeing the abundant harvests. The creation of beer and the consumption of it, would hail his honour. The people would set bonfires, many, many of them and the largest would be the bonfire of Ukko itself, in Finnish it was called the Ukko-kokko. It was also a time for cleansing of the soul, in the fight against evil, as well as to celebrate the summer solstice.<br /><br />This bonfire example was found on the killinkoski.fi area website.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaOOUjBVaXaI4tL0EuOiRs4oguu5JCFcSJdBdT9DVTIQ5qtZCoNRHfh_rLZA7Edk_nMIroe3Ds4vSXBcWqNDdG5h38XaPfMZdesWmF_WrFBce5plSqtamBqOIQmFRp6v0QW5ShvocmWA-/s1600/Jkokko.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaOOUjBVaXaI4tL0EuOiRs4oguu5JCFcSJdBdT9DVTIQ5qtZCoNRHfh_rLZA7Edk_nMIroe3Ds4vSXBcWqNDdG5h38XaPfMZdesWmF_WrFBce5plSqtamBqOIQmFRp6v0QW5ShvocmWA-/s400/Jkokko.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487108892903731618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Mikael Agricola, (c. 1510 – 9 April 1557) the father of the Finnish written language and devout christian reformist wrote in poetry about the pagan times pre-Juhannus. You can tell he didn't think much of the revelry!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:85%;" >Ja kun kevätkyntö kylvettiin,<br />silloin Ukon malja juotiin.<br />Siihen haettiin Ukon vakka,<br />niin juopui piika että akka.<br />Sitten paljon häpeällistä siellä tehtiin,<br />niin kuin sekä kuultiin että nähtiin. </span><br /><br /></span><span>Roughly translated as:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">And when the Spring plowing was sown, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">a toast was drank to Thunder </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Thunder was sought by the bushel, </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(an old measuring term for dry corn and harvest of) </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">maidens drunk like old women. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Then there was a lot of shame done, </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">as well as heard as was seen. </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span><br /><br />At the same time however, the R.C. church held the day in memory of John the Baptist and when Christianity swept the country, rather than disband the day, the old celebration was simply renamed. John the Baptist washed over the old Ukko...at least in name, for many celebrations continued and survived the reformation... even until this day. St. John's day however was translated into Finnish as Juhannus.<br /><br />One might well ask, why St. John the Baptist was feasted on that day? It's a quarter day celebration and just as Yule time, or the now christian christmas, marks the birth of Jesus, Midsummer marks the birth of John the Baptist. Which is interesting really, to me anyway - because most Saints are remembered for their day of death (or their birth into heaven) rather than their birth into this world. Apparently his birthday is based on the Gospel of Luke and because he was said to be the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce Jesus' arrival. Hence why, John the Baptists birthday is celebrated exactly six months before Christmas. John acts as his sacrificial twin, he the dark twin of midsummer and Jesus the light twin of the winter solstice.<br /><br />Being that I have pagan leanings, I find pagan shifts of dates to christian calendars interesting and I like to see the reasonings behind them... and how, in reality, the pagan aspects are still afoot! For instance in paganism the sun has two energies or personalities... there is the light and the dark god, the Oak King and the Holly King. They, as nature itself, battle over the seasons, the favour of the Goddess and the light that pervades this world through the aeons.<br /><br />Some well known pagan writers have identified Jesus as the Holly King and John the Baptist as the Oak King. Remember the christmas carol... The Holly and the Ivy? There is a line which says..."Of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly bears the crown" ...interesting eh? Anyway..I digress...<br /><br />The Juhannus of todays generation is a popular time for festivals, parties and gatherings of any kind, weddings especially. Most families will, if they have one, disappear into the forests, to their summer cabin and the towns, at first maniacally busy on the day prior to Juhannus, then become suddenly and incredibly quiet! Shops are closed early at midday at the latest of Juhannusaato (Juhannus Eve) and then are closed all the day long of Juhannus. It is also, of course, a Finnish flag day, in fact it is the longest time the flag is raised during the year, as it stays up from 6pm on Juhannusaaato to stay up all night - and doesn't come down again until 9pm on the evening of Juhannus itself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2K1n4rShGeTwkeCufeMm76izcpHdNk8s2Xvp4S1ZXVBQQCdeJYX8F_hA8YOeRH5rgF6gGpKb8jzl-wU3xxMCphSvDNjNJdgdutkvUdAYYwXJjOdb6Goa3VKTUOxTGbt1Iw27smA_BDijj/s1600/j.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2K1n4rShGeTwkeCufeMm76izcpHdNk8s2Xvp4S1ZXVBQQCdeJYX8F_hA8YOeRH5rgF6gGpKb8jzl-wU3xxMCphSvDNjNJdgdutkvUdAYYwXJjOdb6Goa3VKTUOxTGbt1Iw27smA_BDijj/s400/j.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487108167080560034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In areas close to rivers, there are bonfires set - and whilst many do not question or even realise why this happens.. it is of course harkening back to the festivals in honour of Ukko the Thunder god.<br /><br />Sauna and the magical cleansing that this brings is a fond way of spending time together. In previous days, youthful, tender, verdant green Birch tree branches will have been collected from the forests and made into what is called a vasta or vihta. Or one can cheat and buy them from the supermarket, fresh...or even frozen in the freezer compartments!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIMVpNukaesRvV5EBHP6TEsXDtLv9zG1P3X1c7Hvb06IeAdGg9blXzYeqSgf3NrSoOAM7v7GH5jwC3R1jdVoC68DVqOZebrObdbdj3eSk-SHXxN-aFM1qg5zUjorBRkOjnY8NPvWN-kIl/s1600/BirchTwigs.1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIMVpNukaesRvV5EBHP6TEsXDtLv9zG1P3X1c7Hvb06IeAdGg9blXzYeqSgf3NrSoOAM7v7GH5jwC3R1jdVoC68DVqOZebrObdbdj3eSk-SHXxN-aFM1qg5zUjorBRkOjnY8NPvWN-kIl/s400/BirchTwigs.1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487099241913294178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These are gently whipped onto the hot naked skin, to improve circulation, it also brings a fresh, forest like aroma to the sauna. I personally love the smell of Birch. Its nice also added to the sauna water in the form of Birch oil.<br /><br />Then of course... there is the manic heavy drinking that goes on at Juhannus! Being that this is the land of a thousand lakes, it is popular to go out on your boat - especially when completely plastered. Naturally, for those of us, with half a brain... this is a totally lethal combination and annually the police get prepared for the loss of life. Its always on the news at Juhannus.<br /><br />Of course with Juhannus over.. the winter spirits are turning again in their sleep.. the days, now filled with 24 hour daylight in Finland will gradually, gradually lessen.. the wheel will turn and summer will give way to autumn and autumn very quickly to the snows of winter.....Holly and Oak will battle again.... but for now.. there is sun! Happy, lovely sun! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hyvää Juhannusta!<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Want to make your own Juhannus vihta?</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KtL0zL4YHVE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KtL0zL4YHVE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /></span><span><br />And here..just for fun some totally Finnish Juhannus alcohol recipes!<br />I am sure you will get the joke!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">"Atlantic salmon eye"</span><br />1 glass of Koskenkorva vodka<br />1 blueberry......<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">"Reindeer Tears"</span></span><br />A glass of Koskenkorva vodka<br />A couple of cranberries.....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">"Koskenkorva Coffee"</span><br />1 sugar cube<br />Coffee<br />Koskenkorva<br /><br />Put a sugar cube in your glass. Pour a little coffee until the sugar dissolves.<br />Pour Koskenkorva until the sugar cube is seen again!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now, it has suddenly gone very dark there is also some thunder rumbling - as I finish this piece! Yay! How appropriate! <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Hail Ukko! </span>(but please don't knock my internet connection off!) </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />DOUBLE Hyvää Juhannusta! ;D</span></span><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :D</span>Mrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-40765655175464693172010-06-21T20:06:00.007+03:002010-06-21T22:19:45.536+03:00Happy Summer Solstice!I hope that the longest day of year, shines much Love, light, enlightenment and renewal your way! <br /><br />Spare a little of your light...for the problems around us.. the pollution of our seas, our air, our minds. Direct Light wherever you feel you need to send it! Light up the dark corners of our planet!<br /><br />Light a candle whether physically or metaphysically... Light = Life!<br /><br />Ancient Mother I feel you calling<br />Ancient Mother I hear your song<br />Ancient Mother I see your laughter<br />Ancient Mother I taste your tears<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiKya2hePW7GBycFFitw70hZFNg11kYx6PDnsaGFRVizVIMVHu3ek3vcJQI7lKXtY_ZO53QhyphenhyphenZ1A3mq358hrCn8BL2NVdaNXCw_iJE_hUCpLEHdvCxh5yIrsrKx1hjOqoPbEZsWov47uc/s1600/Picture+23.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 145px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiKya2hePW7GBycFFitw70hZFNg11kYx6PDnsaGFRVizVIMVHu3ek3vcJQI7lKXtY_ZO53QhyphenhyphenZ1A3mq358hrCn8BL2NVdaNXCw_iJE_hUCpLEHdvCxh5yIrsrKx1hjOqoPbEZsWov47uc/s400/Picture+23.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485307695491362658" /></a><br />I hope the day has found you sunny and glowing!<br />May the Noitarumpu symbol of Fertility, bless you today and always! :D<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dlvv1r7E_SU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dlvv1r7E_SU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-31914786892778929312010-06-20T17:16:00.018+03:002010-06-20T20:30:55.772+03:00A Hard Day's Night at the Midnight Sun Film Festival Sodankylä<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5SPCelp2ZhzWxbPpSr6I6cskBFYdwPKttNtrNEltHSVtDfyGTHWTt9bqZojEGUfxL28NrdaM63CnCn8_nvs03nUH0yQKZznHTFy-WIfMBoerIZDu1uxoSfXqZrbB53y0e3Ed-hkk9SAQ/s1600/Picture+19.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5SPCelp2ZhzWxbPpSr6I6cskBFYdwPKttNtrNEltHSVtDfyGTHWTt9bqZojEGUfxL28NrdaM63CnCn8_nvs03nUH0yQKZznHTFy-WIfMBoerIZDu1uxoSfXqZrbB53y0e3Ed-hkk9SAQ/s400/Picture+19.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484897465086658162" /></a><br />After our church event, the four of us - Amel, Janka, Sally and myself..wandered over to the site of the old Kitinen school grounds, where the Midnight Sun Film Festival was being held. <br /><br />This year is the 25th annual event. Although the event is still quite primitive in many ways to international expectations, it is very popular and people come from all over.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazJxHJjB2rfJ6qNYEaJI8fVdWWUbzBgNWIVHV27tN6sRxMLBUbA3mHUsAOG6mew-cGA5NHPb0mGw1_VRi5IEK18-4FSyPzdDB6UavBaKzVyrWaji0Lgcxv1NPO47dr3UV3Kh_hBbK-9By/s1600/filmfestival2010.2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazJxHJjB2rfJ6qNYEaJI8fVdWWUbzBgNWIVHV27tN6sRxMLBUbA3mHUsAOG6mew-cGA5NHPb0mGw1_VRi5IEK18-4FSyPzdDB6UavBaKzVyrWaji0Lgcxv1NPO47dr3UV3Kh_hBbK-9By/s320/filmfestival2010.2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484877987247625682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I was quite surprised to see just how many out of towners were there.. and not so many locals really. We nabbed one of the incredibly limited tables in the refreshment area and sat down for a chat. Sun turned to a spot of rain and up popped a very delicate rainbow... can you see it? (Just?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGedF62m4hjxvxHgUvFRomjlRMKvwenaPB_aNlrSHJuP82jMry89CwtS87xqZnCSAK8wdSqOfGqqshSQIeR7ePVywgUdnRgW7GP_T_jS6ULA7rWr5CRY4EyicKMO1V04HLomMHOhVFm2S/s1600/filmfestival2010.RBow1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGedF62m4hjxvxHgUvFRomjlRMKvwenaPB_aNlrSHJuP82jMry89CwtS87xqZnCSAK8wdSqOfGqqshSQIeR7ePVywgUdnRgW7GP_T_jS6ULA7rWr5CRY4EyicKMO1V04HLomMHOhVFm2S/s320/filmfestival2010.RBow1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484860816654905026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I held the seats whilst tickets were bought for the film we wanted to see.. 'A Hard Day's Night' 1964 with The Beatles in it. Billed as a karaoke film, there are a few karaoke films shown each year..but not all are in English. Last years big international karaoke billing was apparently Mamma Mia! They are really popular...especially at the time of day it is presented...when everyone has had a bit to drink! :D<br /><br />A lovely picture of Sally, with the old school, in the background. This will be demolished soon..and a new housing development built there.. so it will be interesting to find out where the event will be held in future years.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l97bUr2nikMiIMQpF-oCJAn-Jn5GpmlceQ5Sp2OL3v6AyudAY5daP9bsqcADzTf95Pi9ATlpSXuND6xKDcgZ7o897vrURh0ffCwaV-N1E4l0JuL0CFYhw6LQLXDIIEdxp1UTGg1VxwnH/s1600/filmfestival2010.Sally.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l97bUr2nikMiIMQpF-oCJAn-Jn5GpmlceQ5Sp2OL3v6AyudAY5daP9bsqcADzTf95Pi9ATlpSXuND6xKDcgZ7o897vrURh0ffCwaV-N1E4l0JuL0CFYhw6LQLXDIIEdxp1UTGg1VxwnH/s320/filmfestival2010.Sally.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878632418867666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It started to get a little cold by half past eight and as we didn't have plans to see any other films, we had to decide what we were going to do for the several hours inbetween - until the karaoke film started. The film was set for a 1.30am start after all! Although we really tried to talk her into it.. Janka decided she was already all-filmed out, having seen at least four or more - and said she was off home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExZGXq_4bY91ms0IV_3G3tPTRlG45FvFvpz7VZr7YQfFBjPzMVM3EayysmU5szhy0vklNEMBU1LuPKPB4LZW_-AC22qZc72TwkTkgz3i8VojsqTXt432ry_6AKbUzbzIzIVs8B5WauzEb/s1600/filmfestival2010.1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExZGXq_4bY91ms0IV_3G3tPTRlG45FvFvpz7VZr7YQfFBjPzMVM3EayysmU5szhy0vklNEMBU1LuPKPB4LZW_-AC22qZc72TwkTkgz3i8VojsqTXt432ry_6AKbUzbzIzIVs8B5WauzEb/s320/filmfestival2010.1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484877868401528386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Although we were having some hilarious laughs and fun... Amel, Sally and I decided to all go home too...just for an hour and then meet up again at Amels house, for a drink, prior to the film and then cycle there...so we could have a drink and not drive and fully enjoy the rest of the night.<br /><br />I met Sally later at about 10.45pm, on the bridge, just before town and we stood there for a few seconds, enjoying the stillness of the river, which often can be quite turbulent (when it's not frozen as it is during the Winter).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCTcAhBVIoJ_1LBuLEYK6kPzvsVpGeEW2SQfYPr6X3Sj_u3oiTm7kjShFeyszJHfkkECmQeQ0n52efTE15vvX5aPz0220gpEoFwvdIe2RiMZXJzBpXIZliMIe_mObJkcqhAhkalAkXAXd/s1600/filmfestival2010.Bridge1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCTcAhBVIoJ_1LBuLEYK6kPzvsVpGeEW2SQfYPr6X3Sj_u3oiTm7kjShFeyszJHfkkECmQeQ0n52efTE15vvX5aPz0220gpEoFwvdIe2RiMZXJzBpXIZliMIe_mObJkcqhAhkalAkXAXd/s320/filmfestival2010.Bridge1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878272009240818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And the beautiful view! This picture makes it look darker than it was though...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZrQJNbhnyH0ZS0Jo711ErBHBsd5LakFniG-a_YfbEdaDOCgP5a3DzOLrjV4VA7_9KD5OGuLGbjl7hMcvNv3EWst6UlEOXrBnEDyLub7MjNjokITAAE9rHjIFg5jL1l8x2kAndPEP3-Q/s1600/filmfestival2010.Bridge2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZrQJNbhnyH0ZS0Jo711ErBHBsd5LakFniG-a_YfbEdaDOCgP5a3DzOLrjV4VA7_9KD5OGuLGbjl7hMcvNv3EWst6UlEOXrBnEDyLub7MjNjokITAAE9rHjIFg5jL1l8x2kAndPEP3-Q/s320/filmfestival2010.Bridge2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878367559127746" border="0" /></a> <br /><br />After sharing a bottle of vino and some nibbles at Amels, we headed back to the school site at about 1am and locked our bikes up outside the tents. That's quite an un-Finnish thing to do, locking bikes up, but I wasn't going to take any chances!<br /><br />The film that was showing beforehand was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...there had been talk of Clint Eastwood attending.. but of course, he didn't come...it was reported in the newspaper that he said he would like to, but his schedule didn't allow. It certainly would be great to have someone wonderful like Clint visit - there are a lot of film directors that visit each year, but the icon of EASTWOOD would be a real feather in the cap! <br /><br />As we queued I had the pleasure of hearing the cemetery scene music! Cool! I would have liked to have seen that film actually...but I have seen it umpteen times already! Amel admitted whilst in the queue, that she didn't think she knew that film... so Sally said she would loan her the DVD. Its a classic! Perhaps we should make another night of that!<br /><br />Here, from <a href="http://www.entertonement.com">www.entertonement.com</a> is a brief reminder of that classic music.... <br /><br /><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px;"><embed src="http://media.entertonement.com/embed/OpenEntPlayer.swf" id="1_3d82a99e_7c7c_11df_903d_00219b9a75f0" name="1_3d82a99e_7c7c_11df_903d_00219b9a75f0" flashvars="auto_play=false&clip_pid=xzzxttlxwt&e=&id=1_3d82a99e_7c7c_11df_903d_00219b9a75f0&skin_pid=wfxswdnlkf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" height="30" width="300"></embed><div id="1_3d82a99e_7c7c_11df_903d_00219b9a75f0_anchor" style="font-size: 8px; color: black; text-decoration: none; display: block; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.entertonement.com/clips/xzzxttlxwt--the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-The-Good-The-Bad-And-The-Ugly-Theme-The-Good-The-Bad-and-The-Ugly-Movie-Theme-Song-themesong" style="font-size: 8px; color: black;" target="_blank">the good the bad the ugly sound bite</a> <a href="http://www.entertonement.com/collections/60022/The-Good-The-Bad-And-The-Ugly-Theme?ht_link=1_3d82a99e_7c7c_11df_903d_00219b9a75f0" style="font-size: 8px; color: black;" target="_blank">The Good The Bad And The Ugly Theme sound bites</a></div><img alt="the good the bad the ugly sound bite" src="http://www.entertonement.com/widgets/img/clip/xzzxttlxwt/1/1_3d82a99e_7c7c_11df_903d_00219b9a75f0/blank.gif" style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; float: right;" border="0" height="0" width="0" /></div><br /><br />When we got in to the tent it was actually just gone 2am.. they were running a good half hour late. I was beginning to get a bit fed up with the middle aged couple in front of me in the queue by that time... to the point of me bursting out laughing because I couldn't look at Sally and keep a straight face! They just couldn't keep their hands of each other! LOL! Nice really, a bit of lurve, but a bit much after half an hour! <br /><br />The atmosphere was really good in the queue and moreso in the tent - which was pretty much filled up, quite amazing considering the time and the fact that it was the big tent and not the smaller one. <br /><br />Sally and Amel<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqrVjtYqtxy6w4VO6ekqGP5U5N4tX0ZJQyyKwiXmr8fnn_xsI5mja1Tx73mOOg7jAwooG3QvhWYMPAW7hitht5q2Y2Z6fYz1XKloOHwn-KM8rPbXNCfOal_ztZmzvcHEmaYrUQoiWV-Mi/s1600/filmfestival2010.SallyAmel.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqrVjtYqtxy6w4VO6ekqGP5U5N4tX0ZJQyyKwiXmr8fnn_xsI5mja1Tx73mOOg7jAwooG3QvhWYMPAW7hitht5q2Y2Z6fYz1XKloOHwn-KM8rPbXNCfOal_ztZmzvcHEmaYrUQoiWV-Mi/s320/filmfestival2010.SallyAmel.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878720157963282" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Amel and I<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnReb1XQtihfCuzK02bvtt0aBvODoL5_2uRG-5H1L0LBL2ZrTVNLNDe4RqfogwPMsyKUmhmXlVid3nlKL1tg3EYFwjXz9XSrU5E57oPWaCeJLf5BkafIcUcqEtJuPwG2aG8LTM8DXOQHiv/s1600/filmfestival2010.AmelMe.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnReb1XQtihfCuzK02bvtt0aBvODoL5_2uRG-5H1L0LBL2ZrTVNLNDe4RqfogwPMsyKUmhmXlVid3nlKL1tg3EYFwjXz9XSrU5E57oPWaCeJLf5BkafIcUcqEtJuPwG2aG8LTM8DXOQHiv/s320/filmfestival2010.AmelMe.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484880112304649394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOb9Sp9qa8Z2FlxLgP38Lxp3JmALoWvAcmywNKTyij30-dRgSpv7m9A-dkJF8BacYUi5IwxR_9uZsZsJI6NJ8DR0EVkBxg98T82TyhXJRZy4Wpm0z8DTH0u8903U9Bdmp7vBdXkjDl_Eq/s1600/filmfestival2010.tent.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOb9Sp9qa8Z2FlxLgP38Lxp3JmALoWvAcmywNKTyij30-dRgSpv7m9A-dkJF8BacYUi5IwxR_9uZsZsJI6NJ8DR0EVkBxg98T82TyhXJRZy4Wpm0z8DTH0u8903U9Bdmp7vBdXkjDl_Eq/s320/filmfestival2010.tent.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878804484689858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I think I captured everyone's excitement in this picture.<br />Can you see all the orbs?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr-_eORlWtTVN7CsxKcp1kBkC3x5U6d9h0i_rXJJ6SeE2E4n6lOjZLC7FtmRewG2q1t8AaoZRqDszSvVWSmPQQ-yyoZ49gd5xfarIFDJ4s3U9X5uOfFr2u4LQjWvDmyTZgqkkbj9nbgQd/s1600/filmfestival2010.orbs.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr-_eORlWtTVN7CsxKcp1kBkC3x5U6d9h0i_rXJJ6SeE2E4n6lOjZLC7FtmRewG2q1t8AaoZRqDszSvVWSmPQQ-yyoZ49gd5xfarIFDJ4s3U9X5uOfFr2u4LQjWvDmyTZgqkkbj9nbgQd/s320/filmfestival2010.orbs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878537617859090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The words appeared for the songs, in a box just above the screen. The film also had subtitles in Finnish and German. It was actually quite interesting to see how Finns translated (or not as the case may be) Liverpudlian phrases such as com ed! :D Sally and I (plus a handful of others) laughed out loud at lots of the uniquely british jokes and sarcasm!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODvU6mm1Oo6tTbIaSmwLKQJhyaLRYD36b9ySpzBQt1FEMFuMfMpIy1oH8Jk9ElyIbsAsdvTNgO6ag4X8B8ZsvCrG3ogNThyTdqqbmTDdlPRRn1ouEJqtqfh93WqngRpB-645FqOGO-0zt/s1600/filmfestival2010.filmtext.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODvU6mm1Oo6tTbIaSmwLKQJhyaLRYD36b9ySpzBQt1FEMFuMfMpIy1oH8Jk9ElyIbsAsdvTNgO6ag4X8B8ZsvCrG3ogNThyTdqqbmTDdlPRRn1ouEJqtqfh93WqngRpB-645FqOGO-0zt/s320/filmfestival2010.filmtext.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878450850904050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I personally (as a Brit) found the film really interesting because of the volume of rather well know British actors and actresses in it..(most of these were probably lost on the other filmgoers) some that would only be more well known later on in their careers perhaps. Names like: Anna Quayle, Lionel Blair, John Junkin, Norman Rossington, Victor Spinetti, Derek Nimmo, Marianne Stone.... but there were so many background faces that were uncredited, that I recognised. I looked on my favourite site <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058182/"> imdb.com - A Hard Day's Night</a> and read that even Phil Collins was in it as a member of the audience in one scene. I saw lots of faces, younger versions of.. but I don't think I caught his!<br /><br />It also had the wonderful late, Wilfred Brambell (later well known from Steptoe and Son) - playing the role of Paul McCartney's pain in the derriere Grandad. A great role and just perfect for him!<br /><br />It was quite sad in many ways.. to see from the safe easy seat of the future.. these young faces... and to know what happened to them during the journey of their life and for some their subsequent demise.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8fsZ8U3wesTwijfli_QvP6YmLw_vqbzogGBi7OnFcYOMZWE15VptfmEoQkEjJP63M-vb4-0myEZHlZ_tIFe4fey0bk17-CZgzdq3pOfCYysjQDebj_4ZvC_oVrKCZw3cDEMuUNMkfr9X/s1600/filmfestival2010.beatles.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8fsZ8U3wesTwijfli_QvP6YmLw_vqbzogGBi7OnFcYOMZWE15VptfmEoQkEjJP63M-vb4-0myEZHlZ_tIFe4fey0bk17-CZgzdq3pOfCYysjQDebj_4ZvC_oVrKCZw3cDEMuUNMkfr9X/s320/filmfestival2010.beatles.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878183883833954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Athough the storyline to the film was quite limited, it was a great film, so good that its been digitally remastered with today's technology... with great humour and silliness especially from the wonderful late John Lennon! What made the film really special was the fact that EVERYONE sang their hearts out!<br /><br />I was pleased to have gone and seen it 'again'... the last time was when my Mother was still pregnant with me.. (I was born January 1965) then, I tried <span style="font-style:italic;">really hard</span> to enjoy the film, but of course everything was just a TAD muzzy, muffled..and 'hearing' it second hand..just didn't cut it! LOL! <br /><br />Ive been wondering what film they might do next year.. there aren't really that many films that are musicals of well known songs these days.. in the 50's and 60's there were loads... Singing in the Rain, West Side Story...etc...Mamma Mia is an obvious choice and could be repeated, although it's already been done.... but the top contenders have to be Grease...Fame...Hairspray...Rocky Horror Show...The Commitments or The Blues Brothers (I love that one!)<br /><br />This image is from the festival site itself.. lots to look at there..<br /><a href="http://www.msfilmfestival.fi/galleria2010/01_pre/pages/page_9.html">http://www.msfilmfestival.fi/galleria2010/01_pre/pages/page_9.html</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6rXAhi8_2TMhJL3eMUxfK8F-fn6DdFNQ3ir7pQ5csU0ZpS98dY69HoZEzhhQ8kyICQIyL5qJiH5neMVyGsm-ZRHknekFWERpYC_Kf0kt-UvH9yUcfpmYfz201v3awHCTEswKeLsTU8Ax/s1600/screen.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6rXAhi8_2TMhJL3eMUxfK8F-fn6DdFNQ3ir7pQ5csU0ZpS98dY69HoZEzhhQ8kyICQIyL5qJiH5neMVyGsm-ZRHknekFWERpYC_Kf0kt-UvH9yUcfpmYfz201v3awHCTEswKeLsTU8Ax/s320/screen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484864824943937026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Other funny events of the evening...(well, to US anyway!)<br /><br />A man walking across the playground, wearing just a dressing gown and slippers! He had obviously just had a shower in the school somewhere...but not got properly dressed again afterwards.... whaat?<br /><br />A TOTALLY naked man (not a nice view either) changing after his shower, in full view of everyone, outside of his little camper he had parked up on the school site. No one intervened, not even a festival steward. That could only happen in Finland and be thought of as acceptable.. which it isn't!<br /><br />A seemingly dead tiny beetle on our table. I said he wasnt dead, he was just resting his eyes.. He'd had 'A Hard Days Night'.. what with being a Beatle and all.. (((oh dear.. groan...))) No one believed me, but I touched him, he woke up and carried on doing his stuff!<br /><br />At Amels I was bothered by a mosquito, which I then clapped out of the air. It landed on its back, still alive-ish and wholly intact. We wondered if I could resurrect him too...I laid my hand over his body and he started spinning and whizzing around under my hand! You wouldnt have believed it if you hadnt of seen it! (Then I put him out of his misery)<br /><br />Having to push down the cork into that bottle of wine, as it turned out Amel didn't have a corkscrew. We tried a couple of things, but got there eventually with the end of a fork! Sally and I were damned if we were going to not open that bottle! :D Amel, I know what I am buying you for Christmas now! :D Damned fine bottle Sally! Thanks! :D</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THANKS GIRLS.. I HAD A GREAT NIGHT OUT!</span><br /><br />OK.. So, finally thanks to the wonder of the internet.. I can share with you the film that I saw.. have you got a few minutes? LOL! I am sure that there is at least one LongTallSally I know, that would LOVE to see this film again! ENJOY!<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CtgZvuRaafU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CtgZvuRaafU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s0H4JcixLxc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s0H4JcixLxc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/arpGLx5RLKc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/arpGLx5RLKc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ny6-b4MDUX4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ny6-b4MDUX4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6xaxzMr3deM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6xaxzMr3deM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cLNbTfJAmYs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cLNbTfJAmYs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dsNCoQH-uvg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dsNCoQH-uvg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_K_Q_UCaS7E&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_K_Q_UCaS7E&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RgFOQuWICnM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RgFOQuWICnM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Many thanks to the youtube user AndQuiteFrankly for these uploads! <br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-35077126149158016292010-06-19T17:51:00.013+03:002010-06-19T21:45:11.027+03:00The small, old, wooden church of Sodankylä<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxM0MckUrTZ8o14IKfc7Pq2w4hy95ABfeBMzuiyg24kDLjy9J3_BmHMnAoCE-ZUoRUjRTj6ZHpqlfSyKvGdeJcz3Yi4fdFH-KPgUV7y5IFQDLwd6Ooijh4AtYTywwOaBinuVeKe24-Zue/s1600/signs.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxM0MckUrTZ8o14IKfc7Pq2w4hy95ABfeBMzuiyg24kDLjy9J3_BmHMnAoCE-ZUoRUjRTj6ZHpqlfSyKvGdeJcz3Yi4fdFH-KPgUV7y5IFQDLwd6Ooijh4AtYTywwOaBinuVeKe24-Zue/s320/signs.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484505449704905922" /></a>On thursday night I spent the evening with my friends Amel, Sally and Janka. Sally had been asked to give a short reading at the old wooden church in Sodankylä as they were holding multi national service at 6pm. <br /><br />Forgetting the language issues, this was quite unusual for two reasons: The church holds services there very rarely and is only ever open during a brief period in the summer. It is a popular venue for weddings then though. <br /><br />Some, like this couple, elect to arrive the old fashioned way.. by boat. This image was in the local newspaper a couple of years ago. Nice eh?<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmkgK3-CaDrIt7bf0bQuInV31LJ3RGI3YlBJr3TcjUlr9tQ0T6b0GFRir6-Lwf-TGxXaJ7HhyphenhyphenerOOnBFks18VrkWp0Ab3iks1PO7JM8nUN9iCyEglfBqiJBsrCCwVyHpwx_Eo8chvsj7-/s1600/WeddingByBoat.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmkgK3-CaDrIt7bf0bQuInV31LJ3RGI3YlBJr3TcjUlr9tQ0T6b0GFRir6-Lwf-TGxXaJ7HhyphenhyphenerOOnBFks18VrkWp0Ab3iks1PO7JM8nUN9iCyEglfBqiJBsrCCwVyHpwx_Eo8chvsj7-/s320/WeddingByBoat.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484503071861737762" /></a><br /><br />The church held this service in tandem with the time that the Sodankylä Midnight Sun Film Festival is being held. I don't think this service has been run before.. or at least, if it has been, I have not been aware of it. However, I am not a member of any of the church groups here. Sally however, has a little girl that goes to the mother and toddler groups and that was how she got to be involved. So, we (the international lot!) decided that we would go and support our friend. <br /><br />Actually, there were only a handful of people that went.. I don't think it was well advertised to tourists, but Sodankylä is quite good at not advertising events! I guess, you could see that as part of the olde world charm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAVIg40bUeIFFwdp8CcTNOcA4Fin7w16_0tTWXk5xwAIU-bRVJFjXdbgcgHqtrjAMl01M2G8Itkjn3M-0y_j1dTOX5BTr0Ca35IbaR67eaKvG0UzPynZSYoi_An5Y0E2XcCDIU84FIrOM/s1600/OldChurchSodankyla.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAVIg40bUeIFFwdp8CcTNOcA4Fin7w16_0tTWXk5xwAIU-bRVJFjXdbgcgHqtrjAMl01M2G8Itkjn3M-0y_j1dTOX5BTr0Ca35IbaR67eaKvG0UzPynZSYoi_An5Y0E2XcCDIU84FIrOM/s320/OldChurchSodankyla.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484502590802334658" /></a> <br /><br />As usual, as soon as you enter the church, you feel a dramatic drop in temperature. The little wooden church is very old, it was built in 1689! It is situated right at the edge of the Kitinen river and is sitting on top of many graves apparently.. Laplanders of old that wanted to be buried under the church. It has a lovely feel to it however and I always end up sitting there, wondering just who, over the years, has sat just where I sit. If there are any electrics in there, they are very limited and there is certainly no lighting! <br /><br />As you can see from the plan, it is only small.... :D<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lD0t-c3HxFn4TlUlD3bfwelvnKISkWb1orsaFRgfzW4_Il4TdCmPHZHbdqRZkbk-ZMFftIFE1liZLyGH-ZYtAul9PxXabvFIZS4NcQ10lxy3TbPbh9Pwkbn-8RcZhsfYQdJnkex-zHfB/s1600/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lD0t-c3HxFn4TlUlD3bfwelvnKISkWb1orsaFRgfzW4_Il4TdCmPHZHbdqRZkbk-ZMFftIFE1liZLyGH-ZYtAul9PxXabvFIZS4NcQ10lxy3TbPbh9Pwkbn-8RcZhsfYQdJnkex-zHfB/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484516503345476818" /></a><br /><br />It was renovated extensively in 1926, but fully in keeping with the area, the local workforce used only local materials - even the nails were hand made! As you can see, prior to this, the church was very weary! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomiRQtd5LOQ9F2JSTSHZejviuRpHojBQqwMu_QS8Ty56-rVY-UAg0mlmb-EamJ43CieXv2fVKzZWTCF12Mj1BrMGS5XlX6IVF-JuHzneo9vxMoLQ4E_yayqfpklVpuuHe-5tKxgCqoGt6/s1600/500-Sodankyl%C3%A4PreRenov.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomiRQtd5LOQ9F2JSTSHZejviuRpHojBQqwMu_QS8Ty56-rVY-UAg0mlmb-EamJ43CieXv2fVKzZWTCF12Mj1BrMGS5XlX6IVF-JuHzneo9vxMoLQ4E_yayqfpklVpuuHe-5tKxgCqoGt6/s320/500-Sodankyl%C3%A4PreRenov.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484521501829124722" /></a><br /><br />One can only imagine how dark and how cold it would have been all those centuries ago for the devout folk that travelled many, many miles - arriving during the winter by reindeer sled, through the dense forests and over frozen winter rivers to join the congregation there weekly. The late well known local painter, Alariesto, painted this image of the church...which gives an idea of how it was. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL9wJoVMGog7K6BT1YVAaYSgf8cnp2IllCofPfET87xnyDAm7mmY-Elo7Tyu1TLe2LxRJjgdgyIDMgM-VxuXjVHfgNAUvYDAQbRHSIjlw29R8QzwYfgXab8dxWepEQiKBkZezrIyzLEU8/s1600/alariesto_vanha+kirkko.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL9wJoVMGog7K6BT1YVAaYSgf8cnp2IllCofPfET87xnyDAm7mmY-Elo7Tyu1TLe2LxRJjgdgyIDMgM-VxuXjVHfgNAUvYDAQbRHSIjlw29R8QzwYfgXab8dxWepEQiKBkZezrIyzLEU8/s320/alariesto_vanha+kirkko.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484504239648389730" /></a><br /><br />I didn't like to take pictures during the service, but save to say that Sally did her speech very well! It was an interesting service, the female priest had some very interesting things to say, aimed at the normal person of today. 'God is in your rucksack, he is with you always' was one sentence I remembered. The service was in English, with Finnish, Saami and German songs. That was different! :D <br /><br />The choir sang the English songs phonetically.. many of them not understanding the actual english words, so they sang the sounds as they had written them down phonetically in Finnish. I would not have known, had Sally not told me! They also did very well in the semi light.. although a few folk had mini headlights straps on their head, in order to see what they were singing. <br /><br />This is the altar. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOeXGSL4JQPZhI7crdWWViHVnkUJl3JeTlsEC7HbF71JyBNbQvHZfwMaODuMv6jdK1wgaDE3PKw3M91-qNZ1-72R_nopLEKM_dCZw1Y73LwjQTgMtK-TXt53Tf0uwFegONwcTPJtCqrKd/s1600/sod.churchJune2010.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOeXGSL4JQPZhI7crdWWViHVnkUJl3JeTlsEC7HbF71JyBNbQvHZfwMaODuMv6jdK1wgaDE3PKw3M91-qNZ1-72R_nopLEKM_dCZw1Y73LwjQTgMtK-TXt53Tf0uwFegONwcTPJtCqrKd/s320/sod.churchJune2010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484505055668243026" /></a><br /><br />They have a lovely wooden Bear guarding the entrance too.. I love it! Well, I love Bears, especially standing Bears! This one looks SO happy! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhDTl-FlbQeijwFf4a7bTsU9a0g25VFXLSTUW3dp_kHrKksPogL6igLhP6EseR3x_vodJtW7ZW91ZL5_A5nXZxUacZvX4OkwnJqBfOg09YyFNlqRwmgFPZPBJqu6LqTBuU0XsGvtrNejA/s1600/ChurchBear.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhDTl-FlbQeijwFf4a7bTsU9a0g25VFXLSTUW3dp_kHrKksPogL6igLhP6EseR3x_vodJtW7ZW91ZL5_A5nXZxUacZvX4OkwnJqBfOg09YyFNlqRwmgFPZPBJqu6LqTBuU0XsGvtrNejA/s320/ChurchBear.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484505796845980386" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrDmHlm9xnmWyONwEUQsMzt6d8C-PQR5vobqCbg0tAsrgCNPOy2ZYLygnfsY5x2DXwez81RIUld8yyhhyphenhyphen0vREioi774r6fADibdh-Ut1VoHIE2QWc-zAt90Xu1hdxCwGpeMgBiDZmYBez/s1600/churchbearclose.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrDmHlm9xnmWyONwEUQsMzt6d8C-PQR5vobqCbg0tAsrgCNPOy2ZYLygnfsY5x2DXwez81RIUld8yyhhyphenhyphen0vREioi774r6fADibdh-Ut1VoHIE2QWc-zAt90Xu1hdxCwGpeMgBiDZmYBez/s320/churchbearclose.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484505868700765186" /></a><br /><br />Afterwards we went for a drink, enjoying the atmosphere at the local Film Festival. That however, is another blog! <br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-8b.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=936748722516464523&site=widget-8b.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=936748722516464523&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-8b.slide.com/p1/936748722516464523/bb_t043_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=936748722516464523&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-8b.slide.com/p2/936748722516464523/bb_t043_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=936748722516464523&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-8b.slide.com/p4/936748722516464523/bb_t043_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-56657982802427492892010-06-12T23:09:00.007+03:002010-06-13T02:45:29.945+03:00A sunny walk at 10.30pm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvlK7u8sbnYX0BGUzyHENF1zo5F1NtoC1YGiHBOXdwM1aWBE3xCNhmJyDOLVqa7t_wlWXkg9jb2zj4H1WnA1mjT6RZIglo4T-Dxeu-QISDHBS3d3bEnrrpIIKz864ZTy8akDBHvb7fSEg/s1600/blog10.30walk.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvlK7u8sbnYX0BGUzyHENF1zo5F1NtoC1YGiHBOXdwM1aWBE3xCNhmJyDOLVqa7t_wlWXkg9jb2zj4H1WnA1mjT6RZIglo4T-Dxeu-QISDHBS3d3bEnrrpIIKz864ZTy8akDBHvb7fSEg/s320/blog10.30walk.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482036791710079010" /></a><br />It's been a beautiful sunny and blue skied day today...(Saturday) with lots of lush green leaves catching the rays.... and it reminded me that I hadn't loaded these images on to the blog. It' actually 2.43am right now as I publish this blog and it is of course light still outside! :D I've got used to it over the years.. but it is a weird phenomenon really. <br /><br />These pictures are actually from a walk out with our husky Dexter, one evening a couple of weeks back. I was hoping that I would be able to take some nice pictures of Reindeer, from the Reindeer farm near us, as Mark had said that they were all, (especially the young) in stalls, close to the path the night before... but sadly, when we got there, they were no where to be seen.. all the stalls were empty... :(<br /><br />The time was 10.30pm.. yes 10.30 at night! Now, we are in the time of 24 hour daylight. Soon, at midsummer it will be the 'Land of the Midnight Sun' - all being well that is.. that the clouds don't roll in!<br /><br />Anyway.. now it is even brighter at that time of night than it was then (two weeks back). but still, hopefully you will enjoy the pictures and see that right now... night is not night here in Lapland at all... :D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUp5xCSW6vGXgZmnVuySGroX1Zpxi3aohvC6POwIb3EFoCWqRrT7Dwkv5ZdHJhKDbc5nbkl3oGH7m874NxPwYoN5wIfv1XAWRx-ERcnv0H3ZnSLq8snNX13U-bL_9BCdF8rJog6lRifbZ/s1600/blogmarkforest.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUp5xCSW6vGXgZmnVuySGroX1Zpxi3aohvC6POwIb3EFoCWqRrT7Dwkv5ZdHJhKDbc5nbkl3oGH7m874NxPwYoN5wIfv1XAWRx-ERcnv0H3ZnSLq8snNX13U-bL_9BCdF8rJog6lRifbZ/s400/blogmarkforest.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481983787991249682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Walking with Dexter. This is the part of the forest that is immediately behind our home. Dexter just loves it! Even more so when its covered in snow of course! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5-8Y3byP54dx5TZIVpx70nsF3b8wHZol8pLm7GAes4RCmGq6pgQk-4STjVflEeBsbDIq5r5rO8KUukKXAltZ_8sClz92DfRyJdwI54nthxqJL52uAyZJhrwTAX5laNlcFMRC5tc1yl6K/s1600/blogmarkforest1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5-8Y3byP54dx5TZIVpx70nsF3b8wHZol8pLm7GAes4RCmGq6pgQk-4STjVflEeBsbDIq5r5rO8KUukKXAltZ_8sClz92DfRyJdwI54nthxqJL52uAyZJhrwTAX5laNlcFMRC5tc1yl6K/s400/blogmarkforest1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481983803155908322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The berries were just starting to come out and say "Hi, we're alive!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aMSRkId9jL0nTaVcH-7gu5C9spVpfRwCoTGO8ZsxCdf9ZB4Rk1l-KfdC48Tdbz-TL6qemd4G42NUBUTx3RmWK5uzoJUiIwhf14aJFQTNSBoLJOouJWAIDjVUutORIFVVdXAp9gkCDcIZ/s1600/blogberriesstart.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aMSRkId9jL0nTaVcH-7gu5C9spVpfRwCoTGO8ZsxCdf9ZB4Rk1l-KfdC48Tdbz-TL6qemd4G42NUBUTx3RmWK5uzoJUiIwhf14aJFQTNSBoLJOouJWAIDjVUutORIFVVdXAp9gkCDcIZ/s400/blogberriesstart.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481986235939813250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This the tree that is home to some kind of bird of prey, Mark has seen and heard it a lot recently. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdkkasTLye-8kW5JmPTyR9q4Kt2GrjwtPAc_VIINci6hoUi4eryV0K5NFo58wYVA2WapmmzoWrbD9gXd_8sStzD775PPMEziCzE4tYKBVfwe2Qdw2OXFoY7mt8m_qVfuDSMru0XWo07Fa/s1600/blogtreenest.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdkkasTLye-8kW5JmPTyR9q4Kt2GrjwtPAc_VIINci6hoUi4eryV0K5NFo58wYVA2WapmmzoWrbD9gXd_8sStzD775PPMEziCzE4tYKBVfwe2Qdw2OXFoY7mt8m_qVfuDSMru0XWo07Fa/s400/blogtreenest.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481985677568211010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Can you see up high..it's nest? I tried to zoom in on it. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcVzFl_bDHqVzJI5iZi5rSr1D6lrYZCYYLeR78TcXQ7HwCmYgLXIdYCRmdx82UkMjYZ8jM1mf1vumeOab_iOlcKTpiMnne1t6RFhcAs4bDxvCvlcU-AS-NKsO6RcnCBNzDOvzlS66P8GT/s1600/blognest1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcVzFl_bDHqVzJI5iZi5rSr1D6lrYZCYYLeR78TcXQ7HwCmYgLXIdYCRmdx82UkMjYZ8jM1mf1vumeOab_iOlcKTpiMnne1t6RFhcAs4bDxvCvlcU-AS-NKsO6RcnCBNzDOvzlS66P8GT/s400/blognest1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481985686349533234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF25WCxNOSx3rUpfLue1aGCLD4evyBOUT8_KGz7UxwGpN_yZ_6ye6Etc-8Ce_vLCTkrMcLmiFaDnwQVLhciHPxwHXJpndPaExbVERe1b0Pe334q8lI7Sfa6HDL6QOqMPu2_SZ9WgpaChi/s1600/blognest2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF25WCxNOSx3rUpfLue1aGCLD4evyBOUT8_KGz7UxwGpN_yZ_6ye6Etc-8Ce_vLCTkrMcLmiFaDnwQVLhciHPxwHXJpndPaExbVERe1b0Pe334q8lI7Sfa6HDL6QOqMPu2_SZ9WgpaChi/s400/blognest2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481985695107744178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There are of course zillions of trees out there...but I found this little twee one..and it was asking... "Is it Christmas yet?" So cute that tiny tree! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTWRk4N62fa3UpDO2mishs6WDV5UxoI_uvIfvk9CysK94Y2eKxfoTbz3raoKrxxWE9eBXb0yYnH_YeEXieTE2q68wn1jzUpfLKy_fuHkzPbVsPXlCZ6SziUdTf6NsM4AC85bmri5sv_Jn/s1600/blogTreeIsItXmasYet.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTWRk4N62fa3UpDO2mishs6WDV5UxoI_uvIfvk9CysK94Y2eKxfoTbz3raoKrxxWE9eBXb0yYnH_YeEXieTE2q68wn1jzUpfLKy_fuHkzPbVsPXlCZ6SziUdTf6NsM4AC85bmri5sv_Jn/s400/blogTreeIsItXmasYet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481985702626686514" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Past a little house and it's sheds...catching the sun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJiczEEzLvmk24ZNaLdle5cmwo5wt4aMZeQeCKY27AkQ-xJVrF2CMsTy9IbltUYwIxkxS3FdMhgYR2hScvVcsDcUSjaWMGaOdZRuCtjq8TwD0Kbk3GeOnjRGJZrIV2MwGX9aXdtFT-MFK/s1600/bloghouses1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJiczEEzLvmk24ZNaLdle5cmwo5wt4aMZeQeCKY27AkQ-xJVrF2CMsTy9IbltUYwIxkxS3FdMhgYR2hScvVcsDcUSjaWMGaOdZRuCtjq8TwD0Kbk3GeOnjRGJZrIV2MwGX9aXdtFT-MFK/s400/bloghouses1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481986253858109506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8OXc7APRe3h_MF4x-KHoKtjdTRddvAipQUtdlrSOLbhQGbEKWglbjmmijArAwsV1JE65EU-tIWBi1ngoBA7jxtPp_DeUj70vl44jm6-Y9hzF3mWSnBWpM9SnGUZCTtmFI8jBOUdKhQzC/s1600/bloghouses2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8OXc7APRe3h_MF4x-KHoKtjdTRddvAipQUtdlrSOLbhQGbEKWglbjmmijArAwsV1JE65EU-tIWBi1ngoBA7jxtPp_DeUj70vl44jm6-Y9hzF3mWSnBWpM9SnGUZCTtmFI8jBOUdKhQzC/s400/bloghouses2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481986255917680914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxYPryxKw44QOEK-qnDQ2hmq-RYtKt5adhyphenhyphene8J5dleYqKdh2Eo_YEBI4EtA8k2uQqIpzmKONDTOWz_MFfIktxGsWV2LFgssHH0aRU4wcNtBdmQATkXPBqpVgXXtEhyphenhyphenQE_VaEYQarsIdNC/s1600/bloghouses3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxYPryxKw44QOEK-qnDQ2hmq-RYtKt5adhyphenhyphene8J5dleYqKdh2Eo_YEBI4EtA8k2uQqIpzmKONDTOWz_MFfIktxGsWV2LFgssHH0aRU4wcNtBdmQATkXPBqpVgXXtEhyphenhyphenQE_VaEYQarsIdNC/s400/bloghouses3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481986265380959506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then we continued around toward the Reindeer Farm and followed the security border of the airport. (Yes, there is an airport at Sodankylä...really tiny and not for commercial aircraft fortunately. Blink and you miss it). One day, I will take some photos up there to show you how small it is. :D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39xPCKe524zIiQy_XqrqcrQhwmzyzX5ifOMlZJHLYMhCUKkDmuWLHPk3YfW9x4MzSDV21Uja73vz2kH_ViNYA4TomV7cyzql51kKRvQX5_QPTVkojkdIStqLA69Ab1EyMBkQ-E5qk_Maz/s1600/blogmarkforestwalk.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39xPCKe524zIiQy_XqrqcrQhwmzyzX5ifOMlZJHLYMhCUKkDmuWLHPk3YfW9x4MzSDV21Uja73vz2kH_ViNYA4TomV7cyzql51kKRvQX5_QPTVkojkdIStqLA69Ab1EyMBkQ-E5qk_Maz/s400/blogmarkforestwalk.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481983794810541474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBl2QE0SfKM5n4V4KQMGaFrn48lSr_BF-Bl-7YajpInHFE1uxXyNB0DENbS6twBU4hxTKfz11I5GhnDQK9g4hB0vYjZPXiKz74U0Hz0zYItpEL3GMJwI9UY7DIBOkyz829JRypIL9UszV4/s1600/blogwalk10.30.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBl2QE0SfKM5n4V4KQMGaFrn48lSr_BF-Bl-7YajpInHFE1uxXyNB0DENbS6twBU4hxTKfz11I5GhnDQK9g4hB0vYjZPXiKz74U0Hz0zYItpEL3GMJwI9UY7DIBOkyz829JRypIL9UszV4/s400/blogwalk10.30.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481983813273206626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I love this picture! I love how the sun got captured! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4DuExKz59q_RcChVLoUAyLhZBkDIYv9-tNhLrrl_b8bNi2eRYFgaZyAWfOq5UQGqpDHfr1M7LgjffpSWbE1UQkxpOQbTemEbZvY3OGsfnUzeHR4hkR3Qhmdx4laMay7VQ0f80i38Brzr/s1600/blog10.30walk.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4DuExKz59q_RcChVLoUAyLhZBkDIYv9-tNhLrrl_b8bNi2eRYFgaZyAWfOq5UQGqpDHfr1M7LgjffpSWbE1UQkxpOQbTemEbZvY3OGsfnUzeHR4hkR3Qhmdx4laMay7VQ0f80i38Brzr/s400/blog10.30walk.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481986248402609458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Past just one of many swamps... the bright sunlight was dying by now...drabbing down for only a short while, to come bouncing back with zest by 2am!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJoIEuvVPNfTX8tN-G0ioarFVKSTdJwkAvpY-LFHaM0Brf-D3or-ERG1C5R4KBoltwg8a9NvBfCeBL2W_GicFbR0s1fNYTYja9ExRdITokZ-BMERq0Z7Q1mqk6DDgdDx5JfXRTp9BYODB/s1600/swamp.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJoIEuvVPNfTX8tN-G0ioarFVKSTdJwkAvpY-LFHaM0Brf-D3or-ERG1C5R4KBoltwg8a9NvBfCeBL2W_GicFbR0s1fNYTYja9ExRdITokZ-BMERq0Z7Q1mqk6DDgdDx5JfXRTp9BYODB/s400/swamp.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987404332992994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Back on the road... and on the way home...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl0sMCY-SC5i48cl0Z9NqN3pkLjPhUOWe9gZRT4_3-CeTjvLEybqWQDQ1gSeas7Vz32VYcZRRyAaTW-6etU2ZVlEo9xK3pIl66DLWvq_yuLIz_-vgknxeymRxHkuPDCZ-WX01o01SGpJi/s1600/blogwalkdexter.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl0sMCY-SC5i48cl0Z9NqN3pkLjPhUOWe9gZRT4_3-CeTjvLEybqWQDQ1gSeas7Vz32VYcZRRyAaTW-6etU2ZVlEo9xK3pIl66DLWvq_yuLIz_-vgknxeymRxHkuPDCZ-WX01o01SGpJi/s400/blogwalkdexter.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987408097930338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An unfamiliar sight of advertising... the circus' annual visit. I have a friend who is going to that tomorrow - it's rather expensive apparently, 20-30 euros per adult, but fortunately as her child is under 3 the child goes for free. It will be interesting to hear what it was like. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswSmtabDVXWNb9f2pDoGEuwd39MzW-_pK4bsfhxwQaBlwHaeE7ZazW8f0UksSLyFF-pn3H298pwWRKq_9XBORuECpBUD38K6v9C_0qZLXvobnbwwmTpwFjVQeawfIgjP1-mo9v5_jt67i/s1600/blogwalkcircussign.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswSmtabDVXWNb9f2pDoGEuwd39MzW-_pK4bsfhxwQaBlwHaeE7ZazW8f0UksSLyFF-pn3H298pwWRKq_9XBORuECpBUD38K6v9C_0qZLXvobnbwwmTpwFjVQeawfIgjP1-mo9v5_jt67i/s400/blogwalkcircussign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987415680629890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Home again, Home again.. jiggedy jig! <br /><br />(PS. Clapping season has commenced.. the mosquitoes are out in force!)<br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-31627641232129722812010-05-30T02:03:00.008+03:002010-05-30T02:26:39.050+03:00Congratulations Germany! Eurovision Winners 2010Well, we all just sat down to the annual Eurovision fest.. and as expected that awful UK song was a total flop.... Oh well.. '<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> BoomBangaBang! </span>'<br /><br />There were '<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> All kinds of Everything </span>' for everyone to like though... ;P before it was '<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"> Making your mind up </span>' time... everyone did ' <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Poosh da button </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">'</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span> and the contestants finally met their '<span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Waterloo!</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> </span>'<br /><br />It must all seem a '<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> Fairytale </span>' for Germany's Winner Lena Mayer-Landrut - at the end, she looked well out of it... almost like she was up high in the sky on a '<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;"> Satellite</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">!</span>'<br /><br />Ahh heck.. '<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> What's another year? </span>' till the next one.. in Germany! Hopefully then it will include some ' <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Hard Rock - HALLELUJAH</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>'<br /><br />Totally hilarious slip up by the organisers... did you see the stage invasion during the Spanish entry.. a shame it didnt happen to another song entry, like Azerbaijan... I wouldnt have minded hearing that lovely song twice.. and I know the boys would have like to see Armenia more than once... not necessary for the song though! Yet, it was Spain that we had to listen to twice.. sheeeesh... (if you missed it.. you can see it at this youtube link:<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uWCTeIv-Tc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uWCTeIv-Tc</a> )<br /><br />So...who did YOU vote for - or who did you like? The Finnish commentators here, seemed rather shocked about some of the obvious block voting...especially the lady commentor, but that is how it goes, each region likes similar things...as well as using tactical voting of course.<br /><br />I liked France.. and I also liked Greece.. but I supposed that their government didn't really want to have to win, what with finances as they are... probably just as well for the UK too... but I also <span style="font-weight: bold;">really</span> liked CYPRUS... and think it was the best natural song of the show.. but heck.. Eurovision is not about the best song winning is it???<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">CONGRAT</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">ULATIONS TO</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">GERMANY!</span></span> Quirky lyrics, but <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">very</span> catchy!<br />Quite Lily Allen like in many respects...<br /><br /><object style="background-image: url("http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/8QSgNM9yNjo/hqdefault.jpg");" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8QSgNM9yNjo&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8QSgNM9yNjo&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />Question... which song mentioned above.. sadly didn't ever win eurovision?<br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-34506425184819365002010-05-29T01:56:00.004+03:002010-05-29T02:23:38.058+03:00Off Topic - Wanted - English Arcus Arcanum Tarot Deck<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazaoZgBnFS6rZKfOS-ttJI5IHHPbe3I83Lnx8W5agyyabQP3yTVKMgT9W1SGL1zyU0fiCJX21-gthrLiBjDDsJWL9zvKqZX_pfCiahACbgwst4vl1TZ68zd1mg3uMqaATYFfW5gvnN5ud/s1600/aatarot.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazaoZgBnFS6rZKfOS-ttJI5IHHPbe3I83Lnx8W5agyyabQP3yTVKMgT9W1SGL1zyU0fiCJX21-gthrLiBjDDsJWL9zvKqZX_pfCiahACbgwst4vl1TZ68zd1mg3uMqaATYFfW5gvnN5ud/s400/aatarot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476464288638310370" border="0" /></a>Just on the off chance that one of the 'followers' on this blog can help, I thought I would mention here, that I am on the look out for this particular Tarot Deck. I missed out on it recently, only finding it <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> it was sold on a Finnish auction site for ten euros. Grrr.. bad timing... oh well.<br /><br />The Arcus Arcanum Tarot is on the horrid old place E-Blah...BUT it is most often in the French or German versions and I want the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">English</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>one. :D<br /><br />So... IF you have it...and IF you are interesting in selling it... or you see it on sale somewhere.. please do let me know!<br /><br />On the otherhand if any of you have the French or German versions and can convince me that they are still worth having (eg, if the booklet only is in the French/German but the cards have English headers)... then let me know about that too please!<br /><br />ThankQQQQQQQQQQ.......<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kf6XlzvdM_k&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kf6XlzvdM_k&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-54221814832448847912010-05-24T22:35:00.015+03:002010-05-24T23:26:28.831+03:00Spring is FINALLY here in Sodankylä!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAk3rmnWBBibrWX_7sPRTsqIpvTEUFframN9IejVvONe8CwGPhV9FzLpT767cz7a46O5NnVPTlfwcZnBf4LVPgC5rn4Vb9VGtqCFxoaz0t2jAZvbze56hCVGnG9sC_OZAGypNk4z1R0M5/s1600/Spring2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAk3rmnWBBibrWX_7sPRTsqIpvTEUFframN9IejVvONe8CwGPhV9FzLpT767cz7a46O5NnVPTlfwcZnBf4LVPgC5rn4Vb9VGtqCFxoaz0t2jAZvbze56hCVGnG9sC_OZAGypNk4z1R0M5/s400/Spring2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474925861093514706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Last week, Spring FINALLY arrived to us here in Sodankylä, Lapland.<br /><br />Everything started to melt some while back, just a little, on and off.. but then last week, the temperatures rose <u>dramatically</u> and in a rather unseasonal early way.. zooming up to +25c ! It's a good month early!<br /><br />The sky was a beautiful blue, the sun shone and of course, shone all day long...even when hidden behind clouds intermittently, it remained light and lighter into the nights...which are now reaching up to midnight. It was wonderful to have windows open, even if we do have to have mesh over them to keep insects out and our cats in!<br /><br />The trees immediately by our house were just beginning to go green...so nice to see!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMujyebJ1wxXshykR_B6UO-hNW0XOdN8fEB7l07CTP426ITNlsBIHNfE_e8mOeDc1Eua8esqZUxezdoi6rmaIziQHwSwNu9CEy54jDQ3pVXViaO0cNCItScjI-aizkY1jklXXDGuTaIUQ/s1600/Spring.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMujyebJ1wxXshykR_B6UO-hNW0XOdN8fEB7l07CTP426ITNlsBIHNfE_e8mOeDc1Eua8esqZUxezdoi6rmaIziQHwSwNu9CEy54jDQ3pVXViaO0cNCItScjI-aizkY1jklXXDGuTaIUQ/s400/Spring.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474925727563358386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What snow was left, melted gradually away and remnants disappeared.... :D SPRING!<br /><br />These photos were taken last week.. the first at:<br /><br />8.30pm<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8UoHy9Ih8aY4c6WbqGFw0LSwc-vTsNpMKe8idPFi_YQPbyHsD4FZ9eJR7lR1R4eMYO3yKa_S0zAX3Gd6wYUJyZlhakuxeGMQm_vZcb9QI5MLxdqyosFgHSyMuztFIsGx6JBJlKcaxkOS/s1600/8.30.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8UoHy9Ih8aY4c6WbqGFw0LSwc-vTsNpMKe8idPFi_YQPbyHsD4FZ9eJR7lR1R4eMYO3yKa_S0zAX3Gd6wYUJyZlhakuxeGMQm_vZcb9QI5MLxdqyosFgHSyMuztFIsGx6JBJlKcaxkOS/s400/8.30.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474926183063798034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The second a day later...at 11.30pm (YES, nearly midnight!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3Q7z2j71lNHWuorLkDM-ESAtWqQggNlZITPKQGRVYhoN3hBAdfgc6tRoreLAOrMB2qi5_Y39PC_nhxHiGIQp0fHYCwtk9h3S7QKOqqDDnszc5V9JEh20oeIgf01tOoKBDmKSQsy98hLj/s1600/11.30pm2dayslater.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3Q7z2j71lNHWuorLkDM-ESAtWqQggNlZITPKQGRVYhoN3hBAdfgc6tRoreLAOrMB2qi5_Y39PC_nhxHiGIQp0fHYCwtk9h3S7QKOqqDDnszc5V9JEh20oeIgf01tOoKBDmKSQsy98hLj/s400/11.30pm2dayslater.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474926265868157346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The deciduous trees, all sprung into action, deep from their winter slumbers.. and all recognised the call within days of each other.. I find that action in unison quite amazing... As the image at the top of this blog shows, the leaves were opening and uncurling. Sodankylä is now <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">GREEN</span> and I have grass growing! :D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtPDLObTPWayJMe1MIIMvVGIQvW7jI-KIxe8n8m91dE5hhHWuPKbH33E1VynDsXdOjE0TAbZC4x7mpCHbGbfL1C0WgggwftCA5kbmEnNeRetPJcEMkUoYyrU3eDL9B_CSvU-C3JyheSGB/s1600/Spring3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtPDLObTPWayJMe1MIIMvVGIQvW7jI-KIxe8n8m91dE5hhHWuPKbH33E1VynDsXdOjE0TAbZC4x7mpCHbGbfL1C0WgggwftCA5kbmEnNeRetPJcEMkUoYyrU3eDL9B_CSvU-C3JyheSGB/s400/Spring3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474925975493426210" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-F32xdcptTHw71oSe3DM3itkDoCObpb3JzbfOjgzCK0sPRJDz4z9YKNssQyssyP0RC8udDEok1YV43xUTIQUfONW4yeS5JvWkuE0BYACxpJQO-9N4QHs_GuVObvqcbnLVqYdxI6z8Yja/s1600/PlayareaMay182010.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-F32xdcptTHw71oSe3DM3itkDoCObpb3JzbfOjgzCK0sPRJDz4z9YKNssQyssyP0RC8udDEok1YV43xUTIQUfONW4yeS5JvWkuE0BYACxpJQO-9N4QHs_GuVObvqcbnLVqYdxI6z8Yja/s400/PlayareaMay182010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474926436390127026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Its amazing to think that what was once like this..<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Xn_WVMlXzO8M2b7VQxfwT7wosbQ6kcwm8WnJDQJ7QGDbl_ubAri_oqN4nVq4qxRNVjKYSM8LBSZ1iRu3GYtje8yX5nT1FV48YHCTCm9byShtysUDrl5nZOw9WaLOFVKroDScs6_CRy9i/s1600/MetsahannukPinkyPics.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Xn_WVMlXzO8M2b7VQxfwT7wosbQ6kcwm8WnJDQJ7QGDbl_ubAri_oqN4nVq4qxRNVjKYSM8LBSZ1iRu3GYtje8yX5nT1FV48YHCTCm9byShtysUDrl5nZOw9WaLOFVKroDScs6_CRy9i/s400/MetsahannukPinkyPics.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474933301250794978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi3y6RcZaij5E2R2e_57rsG7q6CpN3id3uzBp4T6P1obd5LFjfReRj9svkkt7JjeXIPW4FEhbzVVlfa_aBOP7JQrzr44xZzUy38bf0Y8FA_MgN_kzNifVJJFId8OReFtZZOjFdgU5DTug/s1600/MetsahannukFeb25.09.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi3y6RcZaij5E2R2e_57rsG7q6CpN3id3uzBp4T6P1obd5LFjfReRj9svkkt7JjeXIPW4FEhbzVVlfa_aBOP7JQrzr44xZzUy38bf0Y8FA_MgN_kzNifVJJFId8OReFtZZOjFdgU5DTug/s400/MetsahannukFeb25.09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474933212132072786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />is now this... :D<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRvYzuUDxU8T1LlFxpbViu4v5E8zSgV-K8UDJ1hMR0rSQYGIJauY-RIc7k77S7duYl-xkAKesDzcMOlJO13_bzktZcVH_R4wsQW4a8O6HYBqIP0wbpazd4kgF2jMTgIoA74TKhBMFLD3X/s1600/Spring4.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRvYzuUDxU8T1LlFxpbViu4v5E8zSgV-K8UDJ1hMR0rSQYGIJauY-RIc7k77S7duYl-xkAKesDzcMOlJO13_bzktZcVH_R4wsQW4a8O6HYBqIP0wbpazd4kgF2jMTgIoA74TKhBMFLD3X/s400/Spring4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474926116514334802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Of course Spring (and also Autumn infact) are generally very quick seasons up here.. and it will soon be what I describe as 'The Clapping Season'. Clapping season? = Summer!<br /><br />That is when Lapland is FULL of a million new friends...and I don't mean tourists...I mean MOSQUITOES! I am hoping though, that as the opening start to Spring was so hot, that there will less this year, for when the bogs and marshlands are kept wet, long after the melts, the mosquitoes thrive, thrive, thrive! We shall see...I have seen a few around already!<br /><br />The weather lasted a good week, but of course, nothing stays the same forever and this last couple of days have been rather over cast, damp and horrid... food to fuel the savage wee beasties... Hopefully the sun will be back soon!<br /><br />Here is an interesting link to the YLE Finnish news website.. about our unseasonally early warm days! Although it does point out that as yet, you wouldn't want to be swimming in any Lappish lakes.. Brrrrr... :D<br /><a href="http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2010/05/heat_wave_warms_inland_waters_1702015.html">http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2010/05/heat_wave_warms_inland_waters_1702015.html</a><br /><br />GOODBYE SNOW... see you in late October/early November!!<br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-7792172099962401622010-05-04T22:15:00.003+03:002010-05-04T22:20:31.648+03:00May the 4th be with you... (off topic)<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZfH6x2RCiD6IHNZZ51_oKQ432kIY1UIJjvgUlue2txM7gnvd5fKtNPlC80FFo0hiMXD3FRydpb0Yg2EEpv1ZCEiOkbb2KA_ikXCVrhfwvksPgL0l2c9TL7FTXLrX-MRsylXhe7TFgIWp/s1600/Picture+3.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 329px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZfH6x2RCiD6IHNZZ51_oKQ432kIY1UIJjvgUlue2txM7gnvd5fKtNPlC80FFo0hiMXD3FRydpb0Yg2EEpv1ZCEiOkbb2KA_ikXCVrhfwvksPgL0l2c9TL7FTXLrX-MRsylXhe7TFgIWp/s400/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467496383159700914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(( A perfect day for heavy breathing and getting away with it! :D</span> ))<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I LOVE STAR WARS! All hail, the Church of Jedi!</span><br /></div><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-50116797744971011802010-05-01T23:37:00.013+03:002010-05-02T01:02:25.052+03:00Happy May Day - Beltane - Hyvää Vapunpäivää<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPcdsa3DQ7XDN1dauZlo29JHizfEwUW-qPRc5QsC89oBQhssUH2Tlmgdm_2mgy8O0fgp6HBw87I8RQg1GcQxktv4i3jXGKUda5ZLWKelZVU6zQwqLrTnNux3zEnA9CMc6yvtmASX5ycFe/s1600/Picture+7.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 324px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPcdsa3DQ7XDN1dauZlo29JHizfEwUW-qPRc5QsC89oBQhssUH2Tlmgdm_2mgy8O0fgp6HBw87I8RQg1GcQxktv4i3jXGKUda5ZLWKelZVU6zQwqLrTnNux3zEnA9CMc6yvtmASX5ycFe/s400/Picture+7.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466424406243736610" /></a><br /><br />Whatever you celebrate at this time of year, I hope you have had a great time!<br /><br />My sons have gone off to Rovaniemi to be with the girlies for the weekends...as it's full on carnival spirit this weekend in Finland. Vappu is one of the two main holidays in Finland. It is a celebration of Finnish Workers’ Day plus the celebration of Spring. With my boys away.. this is our first weekend alone for.. oooohhhh... twenty years??? LOL.. YIPPEE.... we can carnival too! <br /><br />Spring is my favourite season. Having said that, I miss the colourful nature of a British Spring. Currently, here, the snows are gradually melting, the outside of my home is clear of snow.. but the playarea and the forest next to my house is full still. However, the snow that is still here, is changing in its density and so its not good to be on!<br /><br />Having said that.. the snowfall is still coming ..on and off..even last night it snowed for a while, then turned to rain. (Fortunately rain is not something I see much of, so I didn't mind it so much!)<br /><br />This is how it was.. (Yuck!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvQgqcZL2FCn6gFF4AzwqTNSztcz-KzT7LmgJiLkX3o5oWuWd5PF4p_g8m6hHD3u7VFMnFNuZRyhRboMG_TSt-dccfOmJ7Gf0ZTg3BFyUXObV-ssNc1HSjNJof8Ss6w4MqoOIfX7a6YM8/s1600/Blogdefrost2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvQgqcZL2FCn6gFF4AzwqTNSztcz-KzT7LmgJiLkX3o5oWuWd5PF4p_g8m6hHD3u7VFMnFNuZRyhRboMG_TSt-dccfOmJ7Gf0ZTg3BFyUXObV-ssNc1HSjNJof8Ss6w4MqoOIfX7a6YM8/s400/Blogdefrost2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466413460163531762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8BfThZ84Aqv-iAGjrLXEORTpvg4v-F05RPau12Lc8w_Kstjnq6P4X3PH_ntdCAsirfWID6OsoCwaAsrhZnOOmBf7QMi8fowOOqCRDKqJRJgQICMgsgSFM6LWxsY20umYMd9AMnS19cPy/s1600/blogdefrost3.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8BfThZ84Aqv-iAGjrLXEORTpvg4v-F05RPau12Lc8w_Kstjnq6P4X3PH_ntdCAsirfWID6OsoCwaAsrhZnOOmBf7QMi8fowOOqCRDKqJRJgQICMgsgSFM6LWxsY20umYMd9AMnS19cPy/s400/blogdefrost3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466414171198373874" /></a><br /><br />Now it is all gone... (Yay!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXw6awFOkVoveu19r0NlZeKbjwo79jh2Mhi7shnDc7mCAXg2IML_3kaJ2LjhYTVxxUgv5JeguordigGvbdspYLWdorLbT-pzVSPzPscRbTuHM9tVSe2R3NGXIuhVss_i4ZNB-DvUR_etiE/s1600/Picture+8.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 81px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXw6awFOkVoveu19r0NlZeKbjwo79jh2Mhi7shnDc7mCAXg2IML_3kaJ2LjhYTVxxUgv5JeguordigGvbdspYLWdorLbT-pzVSPzPscRbTuHM9tVSe2R3NGXIuhVss_i4ZNB-DvUR_etiE/s200/Picture+8.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466420909897754946" /></a><br /><br />Daylight is increasing and very, very soon it will be 24 hour daylight again! It's a wonderful, yet strange phenomenon and it's already playing havoc with my sleep routines. It's getting dark-ish but even at midnight the sky is only a mid blue, not navy black. It is light again by 3.30am. So, not much night going on at all. It will not be long until the Moon and stars will not be visible at all.<br /><br />Its a shame that I have to give up the celestial bodies to gain some sunlight and warmth! Oh well, such is life. Meteorological conditions here being what they are.... I am blessed.<br /><br />I am now turning my face to the Sun and I am smiling at the rays of the future.....<br /><br />Happy May Day! :D<br /><br />Read more about:<br /><a href="http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=2765"><br />Beltane</a><br /><a href=" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day ">May Day</a><br /><a href="http://www.finnguide.fi/calendar/calendarevents.asp?month=5&p=33">Vappu</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia51ucHSkTWRDy31rF7yBJfrW3IuyW_Jdx_aCXtlxXvsb0mFApgkHofxys_nByhOKeX5-SpPDWDgbowVYHSsTc1wMKiifjIK57ULeGsKeIAQQCDWdpCahjDxZEpuZBldOgMebpSXE8Gr3y/s1600/Picture+10.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia51ucHSkTWRDy31rF7yBJfrW3IuyW_Jdx_aCXtlxXvsb0mFApgkHofxys_nByhOKeX5-SpPDWDgbowVYHSsTc1wMKiifjIK57ULeGsKeIAQQCDWdpCahjDxZEpuZBldOgMebpSXE8Gr3y/s400/Picture+10.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466424154539352562" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Copyright InformationAll content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-58594198626673101582010-04-05T14:20:00.020+03:002010-04-05T18:10:20.180+03:00Sacred Mämmi Finnish Easter Food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImrSjZgLb67P8DjeE7UYYGjQwbhzWxCJOAqrNv5zugoqlYhOPZZWEHQISSjCSmo9x5SdDvHqo5Fm2Dbe2D2tpUFQ_jK25otDg8GPMN9qEpTuke_pC_HknUQzOUnJc__xmeTQHRP_vesmr/s1600/blogmammi3.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImrSjZgLb67P8DjeE7UYYGjQwbhzWxCJOAqrNv5zugoqlYhOPZZWEHQISSjCSmo9x5SdDvHqo5Fm2Dbe2D2tpUFQ_jK25otDg8GPMN9qEpTuke_pC_HknUQzOUnJc__xmeTQHRP_vesmr/s400/blogmammi3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456661417483396034" border="0" /></a><br />Mämmi is a traditional Easter dessert dish in Finland. The Swedish also eat it, but it is called Memma there. Although not seen so often on Easter postcards these days, in decades gone by it was quite favoured as an illustration of Finnish culture. I have dotted throughout this blog some vintage Mämmi postcards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUV8l5h26joearSkJJuqgMsLlFsU4zC549W3-iP4hKrcxXG-bOPnMKC29XEvSNwQgKP1wnQKsD7_P4sJwkrVIaVZVoJpV_OvR1Y7bJe9UbfPotn53Bsz-8Kpj6xCvWR_5SC6zUIaEtZcN/s1600/Mammi.9.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUV8l5h26joearSkJJuqgMsLlFsU4zC549W3-iP4hKrcxXG-bOPnMKC29XEvSNwQgKP1wnQKsD7_P4sJwkrVIaVZVoJpV_OvR1Y7bJe9UbfPotn53Bsz-8Kpj6xCvWR_5SC6zUIaEtZcN/s400/Mammi.9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456656217696762530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mämmi is one of those dishes that you either love or you hate. Actually, I personally have not found many Finns who really love it, although I know they are out there!<br /><br />I remember a few years ago, I was stood in the supermarket buying it for the second year on the trot. A Finnish man I knew was stood in line behind me and pointed out my Mämmi box in my trolley with excitement. <span style="font-style: italic;">'Aha!'</span> he said <span style="font-style: italic;">'So...you are buying our unique Mämmi! Have you tried it before?'</span> I think that he thought I was trying it for the first time and didn't know what I was letting myself in for! He showed quite a shocked expression when I replied that Yes, I had certainly tried it before. <span style="font-style: italic;">'Oh!.. Do you like it?'</span> he asked further. When I said yes, he replied that I had truly become Finnish if I did! LOL.. However, when I asked him, if <u>he</u> liked it, he screwed up his face and said... <span style="font-style: italic;">'Me? Oh no!' I don't like it at all!</span> ROFL!!! The fact is that Mämmi is a bit of a cultural joke by product and that is mainly down to how it looks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtmYMGJ789V0kIP8oCFe1cyYfwqU032oVGc4kxSeQ_qQCQ-kDnBVtvy5nMdYEnmmWARpSXxjBw7V2YdG-VUJLFZNLXKSwsJ6YmAxWR-eWb9Z7tMoXLMPsyOg0V5rYeTE_IKO91-9txI1B/s1600/Mammi.10.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 383px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtmYMGJ789V0kIP8oCFe1cyYfwqU032oVGc4kxSeQ_qQCQ-kDnBVtvy5nMdYEnmmWARpSXxjBw7V2YdG-VUJLFZNLXKSwsJ6YmAxWR-eWb9Z7tMoXLMPsyOg0V5rYeTE_IKO91-9txI1B/s400/Mammi.10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456656297199811746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mämmi, it has to be said, does not look nice at all. In fact it looks like the contents of something rather unsavoury connected with babies! :D Lets put it this way.. there is a joke that goes.. A foreigner is offered a bowl of Mämmi whereupon they are so shocked at the sight of it they blurt out: "You Finns, you seem to eat your food twice!" Hmmmm..... IF you can get past what it looks like and the feel of it in your mouth, then you will have made a large step into understanding Finnish culture and food habits! My best and nicest description would be that it looks like chocolate brown thick sticky and stodgy porridge!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbXrxyJ_IkjM_tEqCMIEd-_9DaoZVHEGf0lUb_tkCyg3inzmsDYVvFSvYN3PW5B2G5ak2B320vLqlBMIzyFxCgDTTOzmgAmbtmFnzwXlfc6X7sj8tg14xjYoY6gixPQYXvuxR0DNQ8Al7/s1600/Mammi.7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbXrxyJ_IkjM_tEqCMIEd-_9DaoZVHEGf0lUb_tkCyg3inzmsDYVvFSvYN3PW5B2G5ak2B320vLqlBMIzyFxCgDTTOzmgAmbtmFnzwXlfc6X7sj8tg14xjYoY6gixPQYXvuxR0DNQ8Al7/s400/Mammi.7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456656036594681634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mämmi takes so long to prepare that few people bother to make it themselves these days. It is easier to go to the supermarket and buy it ready made! However, if you have the right ingredients and a fair dose of patience.. then you can make it yourself. I imagine that Finns that crave it and who live abroad simply have to do this... I cannot imagine it being on sale in any other country! If it is.. please tell me, I'd love to know!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jgUD0mZfVqadOZ6VMOkTRxj4tVP2bhh56zSCCwKIiU7bAPJPs1ab7OEG35_zZP3so7cI5eQ1s-4z4LTMm1eVPWtZu5bc4vpzaqK7FC8zoswXgqkX_u_B1Zc0tvl9QR28EDAMFsigyFOR/s1600/Mammi.3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jgUD0mZfVqadOZ6VMOkTRxj4tVP2bhh56zSCCwKIiU7bAPJPs1ab7OEG35_zZP3so7cI5eQ1s-4z4LTMm1eVPWtZu5bc4vpzaqK7FC8zoswXgqkX_u_B1Zc0tvl9QR28EDAMFsigyFOR/s400/Mammi.3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456655689208797938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Manufactured Mämmi is easily found in the shops during Easter, sold fresh or frozen. It is made from water, rye flour and powdered rye malt, seasoned with molasses, salt and dried orange peel, which has been ground to a powder. The mixture has a long slow, laborious cooking process, whereupon the contents naturally sweeten. It can take several hours to do and after baking in the oven, it should be chilled for up to four days! Then and only then, is it ready to eat. Hence why people just buy it from the shops!<br /><br />Prior to the mass manufacture of Mämmi, home made versions were stored in rectangular containers crafted from weaved Tuohi, (Birch bark). These boxes were called Tuokkonen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjrdSgsmDhWN4JvmHKGWLuc8ry4Z8jnCJF9o4xmFhfHWOYdbbvqBrgezDK5kJAFW1Jgo8mKVAzA-pwmV6J1UGuis4M44uoqqjlmORbUWL3qP1D8A1sweGdF_b_q6q0U_L6aTKWhci0KcR/s1600/Tuokkonen.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjrdSgsmDhWN4JvmHKGWLuc8ry4Z8jnCJF9o4xmFhfHWOYdbbvqBrgezDK5kJAFW1Jgo8mKVAzA-pwmV6J1UGuis4M44uoqqjlmORbUWL3qP1D8A1sweGdF_b_q6q0U_L6aTKWhci0KcR/s400/Tuokkonen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456660709814136930" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finnish manufactures still remember these boxes in their presentation. Although the containers are now made of cardboard, the design is that of Birch tree bark. This year I noticed that individual mini portions were on the market also. In fact I sent a couple of those back to the UK, when my Mum returned. I wonder what they made of it! LOL!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGYz-P6Bdtn0eXSCELfihOBnSZB6Q7_WY1LEJ4V22fLDcJk3rjMOvnB7shCyB0rFsvqPXTwH0zK80CINJ7vFI8UgKpAOtuoDwIb84SYfi5ftOEH-hhnavldL4957vDeueop8ILXcoH3Gr/s1600/blogmammi.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGYz-P6Bdtn0eXSCELfihOBnSZB6Q7_WY1LEJ4V22fLDcJk3rjMOvnB7shCyB0rFsvqPXTwH0zK80CINJ7vFI8UgKpAOtuoDwIb84SYfi5ftOEH-hhnavldL4957vDeueop8ILXcoH3Gr/s400/blogmammi.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456658929891775362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipizjFJMMNBfVGqJmy1u7rD2yEzKOKo8FkuG0sRS4mnTh1f3zN2OaqrIe1zVriVWFDZiAj-SlGHaBVuadIJgghvGd0BlsjDIDnutbMAtQe2vVrMD46YM390iChSv-LW69MUjgLbiWB0e6O/s1600/blogmammi2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipizjFJMMNBfVGqJmy1u7rD2yEzKOKo8FkuG0sRS4mnTh1f3zN2OaqrIe1zVriVWFDZiAj-SlGHaBVuadIJgghvGd0BlsjDIDnutbMAtQe2vVrMD46YM390iChSv-LW69MUjgLbiWB0e6O/s400/blogmammi2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456659028993747794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNanmLj8FZQhpWiaNmLgyj60mNllcymM_26yv7KOCcQ5dLHfIsaBuNWa5mg7qyCVbQGoZcjxJqaNh7geaJSQKarsT2_baJ3LF19Podnh1ZTKSUhnyvwDHfGfg9FI4cCzLuKTRetlOSoN4m/s1600/sima.mammi.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNanmLj8FZQhpWiaNmLgyj60mNllcymM_26yv7KOCcQ5dLHfIsaBuNWa5mg7qyCVbQGoZcjxJqaNh7geaJSQKarsT2_baJ3LF19Podnh1ZTKSUhnyvwDHfGfg9FI4cCzLuKTRetlOSoN4m/s400/sima.mammi.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456665328347972370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGitZ5J-Mq9WtJ8K75FVeSosA5iHVJPe4sPjlvfpcs6NsowUErbZEbz31JRik9-FtmzTYzZ-kue5NulSAV1YbLdJobYsNiXAcOguPyIJTHUDdiiVMdxdX55xAeJdqj7paszYf6ZTDULbSh/s1600/Mammi.8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGitZ5J-Mq9WtJ8K75FVeSosA5iHVJPe4sPjlvfpcs6NsowUErbZEbz31JRik9-FtmzTYzZ-kue5NulSAV1YbLdJobYsNiXAcOguPyIJTHUDdiiVMdxdX55xAeJdqj7paszYf6ZTDULbSh/s400/Mammi.8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456656133656193186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Most people eat Mämmi cold and whilst it can be eaten as is... most Finns would encourage you to add some cream and sugar! Some people also eat it as a spread, set on top of bread. I don't fancy that myself. I keep it as a dessert. I have also read that some Finns mix the Mämmi into semi softened vanilla ice-cream and have Mämmi ice-cream - which doesn't sound so bad. Some also mix it with Maitorahka which is a curd cheese like Quark and have Mämmirahka, but I don't think I fancy that at all!<br /><br />Mämmi lasts some time in my house, being that I am the only one that will actually eat it! I can't say that it is my most favourite dessert on the planet, but I do like to have some at Easter. You should see the lads faces when I am eating it. My elder son, turned to see me eating some yesterday and simply shook his head in disgust! LOL!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkK0vcFbgLpZnhQFt8RXMXwlZ_ERfUNDlWXYcDPAR_xN3PhpzR9q1EJvcX1TL8DQ8hWKy1B-gCFjRcJy04XGmVMHHM1hwATMWpYFqios3eJA_cvw_BpRo5NQCr3ZGfoKF3USBMT6iZxlRq/s1600/Mammi.6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkK0vcFbgLpZnhQFt8RXMXwlZ_ERfUNDlWXYcDPAR_xN3PhpzR9q1EJvcX1TL8DQ8hWKy1B-gCFjRcJy04XGmVMHHM1hwATMWpYFqios3eJA_cvw_BpRo5NQCr3ZGfoKF3USBMT6iZxlRq/s400/Mammi.6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456655955599149266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I am not alone in liking it though. The Finnish society Martat occasionally run food courses on how to make it. <a href="http://www.uudenmaanmartat.fi/">www.uudenmaanmartat.fi</a> There is also a spring time beer containing Mämmi, (although Mämmi is probably only a small part of the process) Laitilan Kievari Mämmi - produces up to five versions. It's available via ALKO the government run monopoly alcohol shop of Finland. <a href="http://www.alko.fi/tuotteet/fi/777826">http://www.alko.fi/tuotteet/fi/777826</a> and it's like most things in Finland.. expensive at 3.94 euros per half litre bottle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdV3cHYMl7cX4UrbgUgIJwkQyMOY06iP05WulPeh5_QDlS30XoY_nS8VP_X7SzGO9B5pbUS09cAZwSk0Twycse64ah7DjUDmIFz7TImNBm4l9-Qc0UGWhmGjsbfWfakVPJm6itb0Q910yi/s1600/mammibeer.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdV3cHYMl7cX4UrbgUgIJwkQyMOY06iP05WulPeh5_QDlS30XoY_nS8VP_X7SzGO9B5pbUS09cAZwSk0Twycse64ah7DjUDmIFz7TImNBm4l9-Qc0UGWhmGjsbfWfakVPJm6itb0Q910yi/s400/mammibeer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456659973112279746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mämmi was also highlighted in the last few years by a North African man, now a Finnish citizen - Ahmed Ladarsi, who first fell in love with it in the late 1970s when someone gave it to him as a joke. He created the first ever book of Mämmi, which tells of it's traditions and history, along with eighty - yes 80 recipes of his own! It is in Finnish of course but if you are interested, its ISBNs are ISBN-13: 9789524941709 and ISBN-10: 9524941708.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSQatZYYPNMthWZj_lTQBH3BST-pv-9pY9vDPksSKjRcUjy28I8QSeoYZr1NH7VU4IdauYhNk71YIsefKsXPay6KQ0CVa_MYcSsGrHvjRF1RVllogUacaSCMAnxbnIC3qQZfg63F4PQzx/s1600/M%C3%A4mmi_kirja_0.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSQatZYYPNMthWZj_lTQBH3BST-pv-9pY9vDPksSKjRcUjy28I8QSeoYZr1NH7VU4IdauYhNk71YIsefKsXPay6KQ0CVa_MYcSsGrHvjRF1RVllogUacaSCMAnxbnIC3qQZfg63F4PQzx/s400/M%C3%A4mmi_kirja_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456659756078370626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It is priced between 30-35euros. Yes, books are indeed horrendously expensive in Finland! I found this recipe (from his book) in this interesting Finnish recipe blog <a href="http://mammituokkonen.blogspot.com/2010/03/mammi-pizza-mammipitsa.html">http://mammituokkonen.blogspot.com/2010/03/mammi-pizza-mammipitsa.html</a> and it is in English for those curious enough to look! Note the name of the blog - Mämmi and Tuokkonen! I have to say, that I would NEVER have considered Mämmi for pizza!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zJ2irdSQa3rW6UwOij12TZG3KPTZUKAbLdkVQICzM6T4SNksqdfIOgGOfKS0nboNL67Wv5On_MN1Y52rM9H-0zV3NdFBqjuskxtAOkzqllFiVZUoPXTmY74aDBlZ_x1Mipugxug4TjSp/s1600/m%C3%A4mmipitsa.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zJ2irdSQa3rW6UwOij12TZG3KPTZUKAbLdkVQICzM6T4SNksqdfIOgGOfKS0nboNL67Wv5On_MN1Y52rM9H-0zV3NdFBqjuskxtAOkzqllFiVZUoPXTmY74aDBlZ_x1Mipugxug4TjSp/s400/m%C3%A4mmipitsa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456660203388551698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mämmi has however, been around for centuries, it has been claimed to have been eaten since the 13th century but definitely before the reformation and has certainly been discovered in 16th century Latin texts. Some scholars have said that it can be traced back to medieval Germany but that it came this far north on religious crusades.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF-Fc4o2lwUNqNerGejFLChM4nz0tCbINV2PO06aMa0ro5TcYl9885UiKkoCyHVPHr75-5MhWg85j_FUVMTq7tYA2LCfwrENnjT4FY5_3EJtwVj4kNIJdA4nSoDu9KWsXUcVKQ_iT1L8P/s1600/Mammi.2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 359px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAF-Fc4o2lwUNqNerGejFLChM4nz0tCbINV2PO06aMa0ro5TcYl9885UiKkoCyHVPHr75-5MhWg85j_FUVMTq7tYA2LCfwrENnjT4FY5_3EJtwVj4kNIJdA4nSoDu9KWsXUcVKQ_iT1L8P/s400/Mammi.2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456655608679117634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Daniel Juslenius, a theology professor from Turku described Mämmi in the year 1700 "It is true that it has a blackish colour, but is unusually sweet and is eaten at Easter in memory of unleavened dough."<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Juslenius">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Juslenius</a> <br /><br />The method of making Mämmi has not changed much over the years as can be told from this guideline published in 1751 by Professor P. Gadd, also from Turku: "One part of rye flour, two parts ground rye malt, which sweeten in hot water, place in the Birch bark container and cook in the oven with mild temperature for 6-7 hours."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AaKEfUwAz9ZDoMdxW_noJrjrMDV4Z7Hfnumoft2x3m66x47dVkl1m5GT-0eAsQdwxE4ieIp21Xce0fj15O0tTCfV7KaTsT4AdseXv4ZOWAUMqOUHkAgsQ9sn7EtUE22BnWdqwQXLfkhS/s1600/Mammi.4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 332px; height: 392px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AaKEfUwAz9ZDoMdxW_noJrjrMDV4Z7Hfnumoft2x3m66x47dVkl1m5GT-0eAsQdwxE4ieIp21Xce0fj15O0tTCfV7KaTsT4AdseXv4ZOWAUMqOUHkAgsQ9sn7EtUE22BnWdqwQXLfkhS/s400/Mammi.4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456655780022719602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As an Easter food, it was originally eaten during Lent. Purification and purging were the required element in those days and Mämmi served its purpose two fold, in that it had a laxative effect on the consumer and kept long enough for them to not have to be cooking over Easter Friday, when many activities were banned. Lighting a fire was not possible....so Mämmi became the Easter bread. It's lack of acidity was favoured also.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8irkuzN19rUlFia3L-gZl19MvcP8LWoe4vks_9NWX7G0qT1eX5vifuCxg_xL6bTEoYeag7NuZXkIVEZCZUGOElPdmdjszHOfHb7qkIhu6MZG3iHUHtPdImwoH4_M29CTAmjwxMfbguMAn/s1600/Mammi.5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8irkuzN19rUlFia3L-gZl19MvcP8LWoe4vks_9NWX7G0qT1eX5vifuCxg_xL6bTEoYeag7NuZXkIVEZCZUGOElPdmdjszHOfHb7qkIhu6MZG3iHUHtPdImwoH4_M29CTAmjwxMfbguMAn/s400/Mammi.5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456655857451534738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If you would like to try making your own Mämmi, here is a recipe! Enjoy!<br /><br />6 Litres Water<br />1/2 kg Rye Malt<br />1.5 kg Rye Flour<br />Molasses to taste<br />1-2 Teaspoon Salt<br />4 Tablespoons Grated orange rind/zest, previously dried and ground to a powder.<br />Syrup<br /><br />Method<br />Mix 500g of Malt with 1 litre of tepid water and put a thick layer of Rye flour onto its surface. Cover and leave it in a warm place for two hours. Sift the remaining malt and flour together. Uncover the pot and mix thoroughly. Add 1 litre of boiling water. Cover the surface with another layer of the Malt-Flour mix. Cover again and leave the mixture in a warm place for an hour. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Finally add the salt and dried orange zest powder, boiling together for 10 minutes, stir well all the time. Give the mixture a final beating and fill the ovenproof container that the Mämmi will be served in. Bake at 150°c for three hours. Remove, cool and then refrigerate for a good couple of days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFkp4_WjTYft5Wcdt0Nomimf3gkV_T2SiuW0vcv4Sv6EwlVHICY6cC2NL2my1gvffTkd0UFoxe8SkU1H8hriDCCzmpwFZHG9tr1GHbeh89Xk2rHBwYdw2pMQqjw5p4LDYjqMWfdMhuNi2/s1600/Mammi.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFkp4_WjTYft5Wcdt0Nomimf3gkV_T2SiuW0vcv4Sv6EwlVHICY6cC2NL2my1gvffTkd0UFoxe8SkU1H8hriDCCzmpwFZHG9tr1GHbeh89Xk2rHBwYdw2pMQqjw5p4LDYjqMWfdMhuNi2/s400/Mammi.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456655459976259858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Here endeth the Easter sermon on Finland's sacred Mämmi! </span></span><br /><br />Copyright Information<br /><br />All content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334724201082751764.post-63180997538581428832010-04-04T02:28:00.019+03:002010-04-05T00:04:22.579+03:00Easter Creative Activities for children...and adults!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKgPBpb0UOHlFOmFoMtFwuiE3-ZR9stvwTJqk-g3CHsRj-svzHDbp_OfXF5Md-qUjNPyjjBpc1QMfbvQtzK-B4IAjOGzpIYHmbMpXq-_qAOvPKAoNQY0Jb-CpjSJZ_bcTIAWaeWKvUqIG/s1600/BlogEasterWreath.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKgPBpb0UOHlFOmFoMtFwuiE3-ZR9stvwTJqk-g3CHsRj-svzHDbp_OfXF5Md-qUjNPyjjBpc1QMfbvQtzK-B4IAjOGzpIYHmbMpXq-_qAOvPKAoNQY0Jb-CpjSJZ_bcTIAWaeWKvUqIG/s400/BlogEasterWreath.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456385203302400402" /></a><br />Other than decorating Willow branches (vitsat), activities at Easter time in Finland, include painting or decorating with paper, empty chicken egg shells (Pääsiäismunat) etc. <BR> <BR> <BR><br /><a href="http://www.tiimari.fi/"><br />Tiimari</a> is the favourite arts and crafts store here in Finland and the images shown of eggs are from their website. Often the eggs have been decorated by cutting up the very fancy paper serviettes we have here and glueing them on. Lovely! <BR> <BR><BR> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KCohe59hOHv0S2JQUPcEkmvSwf3-MY4JjNgrtrVTjtDuvL0Rl-2cl9TOvguqB04er-xZXLVDdNWD_913ER5M4zOxL5kC5sAgKA2u1-dXuyAEHssfnOpTHbBnJ0FDUTULDO381pYaexGR/s1600/Picture+62.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KCohe59hOHv0S2JQUPcEkmvSwf3-MY4JjNgrtrVTjtDuvL0Rl-2cl9TOvguqB04er-xZXLVDdNWD_913ER5M4zOxL5kC5sAgKA2u1-dXuyAEHssfnOpTHbBnJ0FDUTULDO381pYaexGR/s400/Picture+62.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456384960548107954" /></a><BR> You can view the Tiimari Easter brochure here. It's interactive, so you can turn the pages! <a href="http://www.tiimari.fi/stc/lehti/paasiainen2010/">http://www.tiimari.fi/stc/lehti/paasiainen2010/</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1vg3WIdkMDNdZ1ikDedsBm826c5THbM-zxYenFnkhrFzhyphenhyphenZoLO-Z3yWstR_derX8hZSZFuKVCmdWQz5nlTMwBbvFxpsPBPdyyzc-0qNd5D2_UEPrF0ZGWagqjo22DcEo9Sd2pRkAv0t3/s1600/Eastereggs2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1vg3WIdkMDNdZ1ikDedsBm826c5THbM-zxYenFnkhrFzhyphenhyphenZoLO-Z3yWstR_derX8hZSZFuKVCmdWQz5nlTMwBbvFxpsPBPdyyzc-0qNd5D2_UEPrF0ZGWagqjo22DcEo9Sd2pRkAv0t3/s400/Eastereggs2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456065838608184946" /></a><br /><br />Children also like making easter figures of a rabbit (Pääsiäispupu) and chicks (Pääsiäistipu).. and believe it or not..they love growing grass! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMOcSPuQeGw6VOs6fJVJiAZquOTTcetegrrvyaoTOhMh8atNV8zpqfkA7_Fx1GL5MovCzt619mNEYkBLDfHQppVunJ4pikpZRIksUy1_r8WFMh0bmPBqrCiEVZnJkFW_OdH5UAEs63AvE/s1600/Picture+48.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMOcSPuQeGw6VOs6fJVJiAZquOTTcetegrrvyaoTOhMh8atNV8zpqfkA7_Fx1GL5MovCzt619mNEYkBLDfHQppVunJ4pikpZRIksUy1_r8WFMh0bmPBqrCiEVZnJkFW_OdH5UAEs63AvE/s400/Picture+48.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456068739393147010" /></a><br /><br />Well, at this time of the year, especially up here in the Arctic, there is not much grass around.. only snow.. so growing your own, on the kitchen window sill, is the perfect opportunity to remind us of fresh growth. Special packets of grass are sold in most shops. When my Mum went back home after her recent holiday, I sent a packet back with her for my youngest niece to try. I bet they found it rather odd, especially as there is lots of grass everywhere in the U.K. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BZe92CV9zKAPTTLquPslIwZbTx1MLjXIfAdQJd5DwqvuT8r62CcAxVWeg_j1yO08hXJXvYsoJaRBgC3PRRLjgwr0RMIRCenF8pK3exUMrMGxjGgVJrso7taudU1jYJg0EyRLYEtXtgio/s1600/grass.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BZe92CV9zKAPTTLquPslIwZbTx1MLjXIfAdQJd5DwqvuT8r62CcAxVWeg_j1yO08hXJXvYsoJaRBgC3PRRLjgwr0RMIRCenF8pK3exUMrMGxjGgVJrso7taudU1jYJg0EyRLYEtXtgio/s400/grass.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456060702892554242" /></a><br /><br />With the internet at the end of pretty much everyones fingers, this generation of young children can also play online Easter games, like this one.. where they can decorate a chick by deciding on the colour palette! <br /><a href="http://www.perhekerho.net/askartelu/k_pa/p_paasiainen_11.htm">http://www.perhekerho.net/lapsille/moonan_varityskirja_paasiainen.htm</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ_eJH3KdGsUsYI0-BnDh7cIYabbTQAhyAYB6l-fZpzBdrw9a8DHQtAHuCPgQpat4rCLpxg5uK-ApeKNNxsOPjj_gzWXh0YVG_qS9KoJR27II4Vi_CoPe-z-SVfngQjri9hdTPjJpnhnW/s1600/easterduck.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ_eJH3KdGsUsYI0-BnDh7cIYabbTQAhyAYB6l-fZpzBdrw9a8DHQtAHuCPgQpat4rCLpxg5uK-ApeKNNxsOPjj_gzWXh0YVG_qS9KoJR27II4Vi_CoPe-z-SVfngQjri9hdTPjJpnhnW/s400/easterduck.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456058765515797186" /></a><br /><br />Click the link below to reach a larger version of this Easter image.. to print out and colour the old fashioned way! :D<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66j_gwvdou5yf11xffSfGyJzJg0_wxVvp0eysegFTabV0UuYMy4gxf-ddKdBrT1a41t2ObIh_m68OkR6wVDdT5ZVUFZ2vABZORG3agaxMYetgr8sCzzqBWIl4LqVbTXF3PZfw9TsPZ4kX/s1600/munakori.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66j_gwvdou5yf11xffSfGyJzJg0_wxVvp0eysegFTabV0UuYMy4gxf-ddKdBrT1a41t2ObIh_m68OkR6wVDdT5ZVUFZ2vABZORG3agaxMYetgr8sCzzqBWIl4LqVbTXF3PZfw9TsPZ4kX/s400/munakori.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456061815658055570" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.perhekerho.net/askartelu/k_pa/p_paasiainen_11.htm">http://www.perhekerho.net/askartelu/k_pa/p_paasiainen_11.htm</a><br /><br />Of course, Easter is <U>not</U> just for the children... creative adults will buy or make a wicker wreath and decorate it for their front door. They will decorate their homes with lots of fresh or even fake flowers, eggs etc.. its a favourite time of year for many. Here are a few examples, that I have found on the web.<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-22.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=936748722516417570&site=widget-22.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=936748722516417570&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-22.slide.com/p1/936748722516417570/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=936748722516417570&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-22.slide.com/p2/936748722516417570/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=936748722516417570&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-22.slide.com/p4/936748722516417570/bb_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div><br /><br />I made one myself this year..filled with lots of beautiful pastel coloured feathers! I love it! It's on my front door! :D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9V3771NqJE8eThRgXZMQ3AczSVZGMa45PB9JxmnVy_3pcHsb3EylHpg0rkfIm1Mu7M5LYu-iyH5YUTklbien2jHY2vqTS1NK53iD5dvC3C6A5chGaWDwOg7oyQPPl2b86zDAnDm8v3cTJ/s1600/blogwreathdoor2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9V3771NqJE8eThRgXZMQ3AczSVZGMa45PB9JxmnVy_3pcHsb3EylHpg0rkfIm1Mu7M5LYu-iyH5YUTklbien2jHY2vqTS1NK53iD5dvC3C6A5chGaWDwOg7oyQPPl2b86zDAnDm8v3cTJ/s400/blogwreathdoor2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456388135969371266" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJY6kSdL9JFEDD7vn9Rr4U_CzjR3Exlwb3TA_kxlOMrguYhSYwTLI9jAPc6nlTsfiwiz-hHfOXrHpwyaf-QLU2rrMGKsOCqgbgbzPPfL6gyjtFfo-Nz9kL_lyQBiGMbJ3kbt_q4OknO9X/s1600/blogwreathdoor.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJY6kSdL9JFEDD7vn9Rr4U_CzjR3Exlwb3TA_kxlOMrguYhSYwTLI9jAPc6nlTsfiwiz-hHfOXrHpwyaf-QLU2rrMGKsOCqgbgbzPPfL6gyjtFfo-Nz9kL_lyQBiGMbJ3kbt_q4OknO9X/s400/blogwreathdoor.JPG" border="0"alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456388052527257618"/></a> <BR><BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <br />I hope that these Finnish Easter ideas, might spawn some creativity in your house for what is left of this - or for the coming Eastertides.... <br /><br />Copyright Information<br /><br />All content, unless otherwise noted, is © ArcticRainbow and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission from the author, except for credited links directly to articles or to the main site. (I don't bite...just ask!) :DMrs Rainbowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01461162314943275095noreply@blogger.com