Visualizzazione post con etichetta darkness. Mostra tutti i post
Visualizzazione post con etichetta darkness. Mostra tutti i post

sabato 21 marzo 2015

Total Eclipse

Yesterday our 'astronomical week' has come to its glorious end. Actually I never planned this as astronomical week, but as unschooler I love letting life teaching us the right lessons at the right time.
So when tuesday we had the chance to admire the northern lights for the first time and in our own yard, questions started flowing almost no-stop and when I told my children that in the same week they could have the chance to see also an eclipse they were just eager to know more and more. And so we spent basically all the week learning about the solar system, the motion of the earth and of the other planets, the reason why the eclipse was happening and the northern lights were happening. Then on thursday we got ready for the big event prapring some homemade tool to watch the sun without any risk for our vision. We took that black film that you put on the glasses of the car and folded it 3 or 4 times and then we laminated it.
Friday morning we headed outside in the garden and waited, even if it was very cold and windy. But it sure was worth. I already experienced an eclipse, in Rome, in the summer of 1999, few weeks pregnant with my oldest doughter, with morning sicknesses in full swing. 16 years went by and there I was, in Finland, with my 5 children. It got me quite emotional and I told this story again and again while admiring what was happening above us. As 16 years ago, at some point the birds became quiet, and the light was dim. This time I had my Nikon and I tried to take few pics, but none of them showed what was happening, probably you need the right filter otherwise the sunlight it's so strong that the camera keep capturing the roundness of the sun even if the eye can clearly see the black spot becoming bigger and bigger and covering up all the sun. But here few pictures...







Have you enjoyed the eclipse ?

martedì 17 marzo 2015

Revontuli : Northern Lights

Tonight something magical and blessed and wonderful happened. We saw for the very first time Northern Lights. Incredible since we're in the south of Finland, 800km south from the artic circle. I've been dreaming to see northern lights for ages, and tonight finally happened. I'm so thankful for the great gift of seeing such a beauty. We should focus on the beauty, there's plenty.





Words can't describe the feeling. I am small, way small, but oh so blessed by the beauty that surrounds me.


domenica 21 dicembre 2014

Happy Solstice day !!!!

Finally the solstice has arrived ! This means that the sun is starting a new cycle and day after day we will have longer daylight hours and the darkness will be only a memory for few months. Until I moved here today was just 'the beginning of the winter' but now, after surviving the darkness this day has a whole new meaning, I bet all those who live in the far north ( or south ;) ) can relate.
I spent the day cleaning and decluttering getting ready for Christmas, I guess some more work will be done in the next couple of days and then I want to enjoy a very peaceful joyful and relaxing Christmas.


sabato 20 dicembre 2014

Laughs

Laughing is a great gift. Today I will share few images that made me laugh out loud or smile very big !!


Our Christmas tree didn't survive at the stove, too hot even if it was of course not so close at it.
I think somehow the tree it was charming isn't it ?
Of course today we replaced it, hopefully the new one will last until the end of the festive season :)

 
Fun with the little one ! 
There's nothing better then let a little one take the lead to experience some big fat fun ;)
 
 
New decoration on the terrace. Looks like a fairy tale. When I went out to take few pics my face opened in a smile without my mind deciding it. I guess my heart took control of all my muscles and acted consequently :)
 
Sunrise 9:23
Sunset 15:07
hours of daylight 5:44
One minute less, one day to go.

 

venerdì 19 dicembre 2014

Unexpected gifts

It happened again. The kindness of strangers. This is the fourth Christmas we spend here, away from our homeland, away from our relatives and longtime friends. It could feel a bit sad and lonely. But every year we've been surprised by unexpected gifts. So after the incredible kindness showed by some of the guests we had during the open house weekends ( four different people, three of whom we didn't know , brought us a present during the visit ) today poured on us so many gifts that it's stll hard to believe ...


 Incredible isn't it ? One present for each child and one for the entire family. We couldn't believe it and we feel so humbled and gratefull for this. And if this wasn't enough for today our friends who own a restaurant in town gave us some freshly made sushi ...

 I have to admit i was very skeptical about sushi, but after tasting it with this yummi ginger and soy sauce ... well I was wrong, it's quite good and more then worth eating ( or over eat as in my case ;) )
Well the miracle of Christmas once again, baby Jesus is about to come and the unexpected kindness remind us what Christmas is all about: LOVE

Here the last two days following the light, then the new moon and the solstice will draw a new start. Light will come back. and no, before you ask I find it perfectly fine loving Jesus and honouring the light and celebrating the solstice. I've come to believe that Jesus' birth is in this period because HE is a light as well so if I was the Almighty and I could chose the perfect moment for my son, the Christ, the Light, to come on earth, I think I'd chose this time of the year as well.

Sunrise at 9:21
Sunset at 15:07
Hours of daylight 5:45
same as yesterday


giovedì 18 dicembre 2014

Almost there

Snow and frost and sun and bright sunset and we're almost there, solstice in two days and Christmas just behind the corner. Excitement and happyness and laughs and shiny things and secret boxes and whatever is yet to come is worth seeing and waiting for :)


Sunrise at 9:21
Sunset at 15:07
Hours of daylight today 5:45
one minute less then yesterday

mercoledì 17 dicembre 2014

Four seasons

Today was a good day. We've been gifted with the four seasons in one day: I woke up with the pouring rain, had breakfast with heavy snow, cooked lunch with a cloudy sky and went food shopping in the sun. Great !!


Sunrise at 9:20
Sunset at 15:06
Hours of deylight 5:46
One minute less then yesterday

martedì 16 dicembre 2014

Why you moved to Finland ?

If i could have one euro for every time someone asked me this question in the last three years I'd be a millionaire. It seems that the decision to move from Italy to Finland is mind blowing for most of the people I meet. So I started thinking about it quite a lot lately. I don't alwas get along with finnish ways or society. And of course I miss many things and many people from Italy, after all it'smy homecountry. And I couldn't have the life I was dreaming moving here ... so why am I here ? Well today I got a reminder of the reason.

 This is today's sunset. The picture has been taken at 14:30. Wild. No, I mean WILD.
Such beautiful sight, pure, bright, clear ... and absolutely dreadful, if you think that at 15:00 it's night, and I mean NIGHT. And there's no way to change this. It's the nature, the divine, the creation and we can only accept this. As we can only accept the cold, the ice, the snow and the summer's nightless nights. It's the nature taking the lead and reminding us little humans that we're just this, little small creatures mostly powerless. And powerfull at the same time when we overcome all this, and maybe we can even enjoy it.
Northern lands make you feel like you're your own hero, year after year, solstice after solstice you survive the wild wheel of seasons trying to be a part of it and not an enemy, you learn how to flow and accept.
Here in the wild north I'm learning so much about my relationship with nature and life and cycles,
and probably all this is well worth moving.

Following the light today
sunrise at 9:19
sunset at 15:06
hours of daylight 5:47
one minute less then yesterday

lunedì 15 dicembre 2014

It's over

Yesterday's rush was the 'grand finale' of our december's efforts. Yesterday we had the last opening of the year and my oldest doughter had her Christmas dance show. Both have been absolutely great. In the five hours of the opening we had probably around 150 guests, among them some really lovely people with whom we exchanged personal contacts to keep in touch and meet again. An incredible experience. Then at 15:30 off we went to the dance show. Great as usual with the same little tear shed by this mommy heart.
Yesterday evening, sitting on the sofa, me and Gaia just realized that all the busyness of the last 6-8 weeks has gone and we feel a bit lost. You know the feeling ... you work hard, hurrying from one task to another, mumbling that 'never ever again...' and when it's over you're ready to start again, you wish you could start again, you feel you NEED to start again ... :) there's probably a strange creature living in my head isn't it ?
But well, I'm trying to focus on the fact that saturday will be the solstice, THE SOLSTICE !!! and it means that we made it once again. The light will overcome the darkness, days will get longer and longer everyday and in few weeks the world will be again an easier place to be. The miracle of life, the circle of our existence. I can only bow humbly my head in front of such great creation and Creator.


Following the light

sunrise at 9:18
sunset at 15:06
hours of daylight 5:48
1 minute less then yesterday
In one week ( 8dec-15dec ) we have lost 12 minutes of daylight.

venerdì 12 dicembre 2014

Handmade

I love to work with my hands. I love creating beautiful things and I hope that one day I'll make a job out of my passion. For tomorrow's opening I realized many beautiful thing. I smile very big just looking at them ....





I love them all ! 
Everything has been dome using mixed technics and natural fiber, knitting, crocheting, sewing and needle felting.

Sunrise at 9:14
Sunset at 15:07
Hours of deylight 5:52 
(two minutes less then yesterday )

giovedì 11 dicembre 2014

Loviisan Joulu or Christmas chocolate

This coming weekend we'll open again our house. As member of LWT ( Loviisa's old houses association ) ww joined for the first time this year the Christmas opening of the old houses. So I spent the day preparing chocolate and various sweets along with my lovely doughters as well finishing few of my knitted and crocheted creations that I will (hopefully) sell. Open the house is a lot of work but a lot of fun too. You get to know, meet and talk with litterally hundreds of people in two days ( the first weekend at some point there were 72 people in our not-so-big living room and kitchen !!!!!) , some people might think it's a nightmare, but our family loves it, even James ( 2 years and half ) is very pleased of all the coming and going. So the whole family works together to make it a perfect day, I must say we're a very good team now :)
Here some pics of today's sweets ...





Yummi isn't it ?

But let's follow the light now
sunrise at 9:13
sunset at 15:07
hours of daylight 5:54
two minutes less than yesterday


mercoledì 10 dicembre 2014

Black-out

Today we had very strong winds, a real storm. If you have ever had a metal roof you know well the very loud noise it makes every time the wind hits it. Scary if you're not used.
This evening we expeienced also several black-outs, dark in the darkness. We experienced the life and total darkness of the former owner of this house back at the beginning of '900. No street lamps or led-lamps to ease the pre-solstice day. Good to be candle lovers ...





Sunrise at 9:12 today
Sunset at 15:08 today
5:56 hours of daylight
2 minutes less than yesterday.