Happy Solstice !

So here we are. The darker moment of the year is here, but this mean that the light is about to come back. In two days the hours of daylight will be longer and longer. I love this moment of the year, as it reminds me that in life we have darkness and light, and even if darkness can be scaring and depressing and sad, it is the prelude to light. A light much more sweeter and bright just because of the previous darkness.
I took these pictures of the sky at 15:00 (3 pm ) just when the sun was about to set. In few months at 3 am we will have much more light than this.
  I love the Creation we're living in.

 Happy solstice to everybody !

Today's details:

Sunrise at 9:23

Sunst at 15:07

Daylight: 5h44min

Sunrise

Only few days until the solstice. I'm litterally in love with the magic and mystic that happens during the solstices. The shorter and the longer days in the year. The sun making a leap from darkness to light and vice versa. Of course the winter solstice is the most exciting, after so much darkness, knowing that finally the light is about to shine again it is so comforting. No wonder Jesus was born around this period. He is so comforting too.
This morning I took a picture outside around noon. The sun is under the top of the trees at the horizon. It not even arrives at west to set, so short its path nowadays.

Today's details:

Sunrise at  9:17 am

Sunset at 15:06 pm

daylight 5 hours 49 minutes

Have a nice week !

Happy Midsummer

Today it's officially summer. Here in Finland it doesn't look like summer at all. But still let's hope to have a good one :)

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.

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.

 

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

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

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

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

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.