WHAT NEXT?

Less than a week from my last post and too much has been going on... Good new or bad new? Maybe chronological order is the best!

I finally started x-mas decoration. Cultural differences kicked in again; Irish was already shocked on Independence Day, Dec 6th, that we don't have Christmas tree up!!!! Panick!! I tried gently remind him, that last year, when he got to decided, by actual X-mas, all the needles were all over the house and the tree was basically bare. Onni was crawling back then and even the tiniest touch on the shiny decorations, and baby was covered with needles. (the crying, the cleaning, touchingcryingcleaning.....ARGHH!!). I just decided, that if I don't go and get the tree, it is possible to get it postponed as far as possible. But to make his spirits up, I did this:

 And this:

 And elfs' clothes:

 And left my chilies still hanging, since they are very X-massy red:

Weekend came and there was no way to postpone the tree. Whole family was packed into the tractor and we drove to our forest. Well, moose/elk /deer hunters had just decided to hunt there that day, so we probably ruined their days fun (and our own chances to get some moose meat....). They look like Santas with their red rain hoods on and the kids were mesmerized! WOW!!

 This tree has nothing to do with our x-mas.

 We had hot chocolate and Moomin cookies with us, since this trip included huge 500 m hike on a very demanding forest surface... ;D

 Dunno what this face is about. The hot chocolate WAS good!

 Accidentally GREAT bokeh....If I may say so myself. It was SOOOOO dark in the forest, that I thought nothing will turn out even semi-decent, but I like this one!

 We were fairly soaked....

Then bad season begun; Onni had to go to the dentist check-up and heart check up on the same day. Holy Mary, I was thinking, since he can get these MASSIVE tantrums that only 1,5 year old is able to get. The heart check up was in the early afternoon, so I had to wake him up for that, so I had sleepless night thinking my survival skills on the following day. Well, my son knows hoe to surprise; before leaving for the dental place he was screaming with eyes rolled inside out and legs completely stiff, so getting him dressed was like running 10 kms. But once we got to the dentist's I had an angel with me. "Thank You. Merry Christmas" Bye-bye" and these sweet smiles, opening his mouth when asked and the ladies were charmed. "What a perfect child you have...." Hell, yes!

The heart check up was requiring bit more driving, so I was listening this mad screaming for 35 minutes, but once at the hospital the angel appeared again. The doctor was doing his work with nothing but quiet "yesss" and "okei" comments from Onni. Oh the amount of praises again. The result of the check up was anyway quite good; he does have extra noises coming from his heart, but from the right side, which should not be serious. We will have an ultrasound some time next week, but the doctor told not to worry AT ALL. (He def does NOT know me!!!!)

On the way back home, my younger sister called, and told that my older sister has gotten seriously mental. Mixing alcohol and medicines. Insulting her husband in every possible way. Saying things like "I will kill you. With a knife..." I know things have gone worse slowly, but this was a shock. I did not know she was drinking so much. I did not know she was turning violent. I did not know she is actually mentally sick. We are really REALLY scared for the holidays. I'm really scared for my Dad...Poor Dad!I'm scared for her children and husband. I'm scared that she does something to herself. Mental care in Finland is so overloaded at the moment, that it is really difficult to get help. This is so horrible, maybe the most horrible thing that can happen to someone close to you. Whole personality has changed,she used to be the most caring and loving person, and now this violent monster is inside her. And she is blaming the hubby for everything. In her sick head his death would solve her problems... I told the husband to call an ambulance and take her to mental hospital if anything like that happens again. These things are not meant to take lightly. So that's shadowing the spirits here....

I have to try, for my own family's sake to push that aside. There is only certain amount I can do to help.And if I dont stop thinking and worrying about that, I'll end up next to her in the same hospital . We were joking with the younger sister, that it would make Dad's life easier, he could visit two of us in the same place....

Now off to feed the cows and then grocery shopping.... Life has to go on!

Forest Therapy

All the snow is gone, all of it. Our farm  yard is super muddy and dirty, and not much kids can do (well, they DO love playing in the mud, but then there is mom's side of things, too....) so I took them to relax into the forest. That is really Finnish thing (at least for country people) to go into the forest as a mad, bad person and come back as clear thinking, completely relaxed and better person. Free, efficient, fun -what else can you ask for! 

Since there is the Irish side as well, we had to take some tea with us. And "pulla", sort of cinnamon bread.

 Since it is our own forest, I had some tools with me to get small spruces and branches to decorate (my) front porch (Irish's back porch -these cultural differences....)

 Emmi-Sofia went to give foxes some pulla....

 ... and disappeared!

 At the end of the therapy trip, we had one very happy daughter, one semi-happy Mother and one really upset young son, who was too small to stay on his feet on such uneven ground!

Moottorisahaterapia...

Chainsaw therapy was needed yesterday -badly!

...tuli eilen niin tarpeeseen! Kun naisen mitta täyttyy, niin ainoa, mikä voi auttaa on Stihl-moottorisaha! Eilen piti tulla kuivurista varastoksi-projektin viimeinen silaus, kylmän osan lattiavalu. Saatiin ihan päivän varoitusajalla liippausmiehet, kun herrojen joku toinen työkeikka oli peruuntunut. Ja betonikin järjestyi samanfirman kautta. Uskomatonta, mutta niinhän se olikin, liian sujuvaa sujuakseen sitten kuitenkaan....
Aamu seitsemältä piti aloittaa, ja minä olin sytytellyt työvalot ja vetänyt voimavirtajohdot valmiiksi, Irlantilainen vielä iltayhdeltätoista hiekoitti meidän jyrkkää mäkeämme, että betoniauto varmasti pääsee perille.
When woman has had enough, the only thing able to help is a Stihl chainsaw! We were supposed to nail the project "Transformation from old drier into a shed" by concreting the floor of the cold storage. I manage to get builders to smooth the floor, since their other work was cancelled and they got a good deal for concrete as well. Sounded too good to be true and so it turn out to be.
We were supposed to start 7 am and I had turn on all the working lights, took 16 A cables ready for them and Irish was spreading gravel on our hill so the concrete lorry definitely would be able to drive up.

Puoli kahdeksalta soi puhelin, ja työmiehet ovat rekallaan ojassa, betoniauton tulo peruutettu, koska oli epävarmaa, missä kunnossa rekka on. Kaksikymmentä vailla kahdeksan soi taas puhelin, työmiesten pomohan se siellä: "SE O SITTE SAATANAN ISO LASKU TULOSSA SIIHEN SUUNTAA: MÄ VAAN SANON ETTEI TÄSTÄ PIENELLÄ SELVITÄ!!!HINAUSAUTO, POIKIEN PALKAT, YKSI KUORMA PILALLE MENNYTTÄ BETONIA JA SINÄ MAKSAT!!!!!" Olin niin hämmentynyt, etten kyennyt kuin piipittämään takaisin, että eihän se nyt mun tieni ole, eikä minun vikani, jos eivät pojat osaa ajaa liukkaalla tiellä, mutta sehän vain lisäsi vettä myllyyn. "OTA SAATANA SITTEN SELVILLE; KENEN VASTUULLA TUO TIE ON!!!!!!!" . Kun on herkkä niin on herkkä,joten naapurin Markon valot syttyivät perllon takana juurikin sopivasti, ja aamukäheä mies jotui vastaamaan erittäinkin hysteeriseen puheluun. Naapurin Marko vain nauroi, ja sanoi, että anna nyt sen miehen puhelinnumero, ja minuutin päästä tuli jo soitto takaisin; "Ei sieltä mitään laskua tule, rauhoitu nyt vaan!" Mutta eipä tule myöskään varaston lattia kuntoon, ja seuraavat huudot tulivatkin Irlantilaiselta: "Et sopinut seuraavaa työaikaa??!!" Voihan miehen logiikka; jos joku huuttaa minulle noin, en TODELLAKAAN ole enää tekemisissä ko. firman kanssa! Irlantilainen aina sanoo minulle, kun pyydän neuvomaan jonkun koneen kytkemisessä traktoriin,että mene ja opettele, joten nyt iskin kyllä ihan suoraan munuaisiin ja sanoin kuivasti opettele sinä puhumaan suomea ja järjestä hommat rakennusmiesten kanssa, minun kohdallani ne hommat ovat nyt ohi!

7.30 I got a phone call, the builder boys were sideways on the ditch, in the beginning of the public road along which our farm is situated. 7.40 I got another phone call, the Boss of the builder boys: " YOU WILL GET ONE FUCKING HUGE BILL, AND I MEAN A HUGE ONE!!!! TOWING LORRY, THE SALARIED FOR THE BOYS, ONE LOAD OF CONCRETE WASTED AND YOU PAY!!!!"I was so struck by all this information, that all I could do was to semi-whisper back, that it is not my road and it is not my responsibility if the boys do not stay on the road. Butthat was a BIIIIIG mistake: "THEN YOU FUCKING FIND OUT WHO TAKES CARE OF THAT ROAD!!!!!!!" I'm super-sensitive to bad and good things happening around e, so when I saw light turning on acroos the field, our Neighbour Marko got this madly hysterical phone call. Marko just asked the number of the Boss and after a minute I got a call back saying there is no bill coming. But there is also no floor coming, so next really upset call came from Irish: "WHAAAT? You did not agree their next free time???" WHAAAT, so also my reply; what a logic men have, OF COURSE NOT, if I'm treated like that, they can work somewhere else! Irish always tells me "Go and learn" when I ask him to show me how to do some machinery involved work, so I hit him on his kidneys and told him to go and learn Finnish and he can deal with the builders from now on!

Olen niin huono kestämään minulle huutavia ihmisiä, kuten Jäääkaappipakastin-episodikin todisti, joten päivä meni itkutellessa, kunnes päätin terapioida itseni kuntoon, ja pakkasin traktorin etukuormaajaan moottorisahan, bensaa, teräketjuöljyä ja viilan ja ajelin metsätielle. 5 isoa tuulen kaatamaan kuusta siellä pistelin palasiksi ja kasasin, eikä sen jälkeen enää mikään jaksanut harmittaa.

I'm so bad taking any sort of shouting from fellow people so I decided to do some self therapy and went to the forest to clear some huge trees fallen in storms. I packed a chainsaw, petrol, chain oil and a file into the tractor and went to the forest. After clearing and piling 5 huge spruces, nothing was bad in this world anymore!

Ilta päättyi kuitenkin positiivisissa merkeissä; Ranskalainen Kotiorja on viimeistä iltaa suomessa ennen joululomaansa, ja päätti tulla ja kokata aikas makoisaa kana-rakuuna-sinappikastiketta ja se syötiin shamppanjan kera (tavallisena keskiviikkoiltana, me olemme hiukan hulluja!!).

We had a farewell dinner with French Houseslave; he is going back to France for X-mas. He cooked chicken-tarragon-mustardsauce with rice and tat was ate along with a bottle of champagne. (On a Wednesday night, we are mental!!)

Tein myös elämäni ensimmäisen lanttulaatikon. Lopputulos on maistamista vaille valmis!

If one really wants something...

..one is willing to risk her life for it! That's right; I finally got the old doors I have wanted for so long! There was no money involved, oh no, all I needed to do was to climb up into the old cowshed, which is about to collapse. That's all, but why was I about to pee myself while doing it!!?!

Jos tosissaan jotain haluaa, pitää laittaa vaikka koko elämä kehiin! Ja niin minä tyttö tein. KAikesta ei rahalla selviä, vaan joskus tarvitaan huomattava määrä hullumaista rohkeutta.Kiipesin vihdoin ja viimein romahtavassa olevan kivinavetan ylisille ja hain himoitsemani vanhat ovet siälle koristeiksi. Nyt myös tiedän sen tunteen, kun melkein, muttei ihan pissii housuihinsa pelosta!

One narrow one was screaming to me "Take me into to the living room!!" and so I did. And yes, it fits so perfectly there. Thank goodness it was a narrow one, these old doors are so SO heavy. And I knew there would be no help from Irish - it would take him 5 months to get that this is a brilliant idea!!


Ja tämä kapoinen ovi sieltä huusi tahtovansa olohuoneeseemme, ja sinne minä sen raahasin. Pesin vuosikymmenien pölyt ja hiirenpaskat pois ja kannoin sisään. Onneksi se oli tämä kapea ovi, joka minulle huuteli, nämä ovat enemmän kuin RASKAITA!! Ja ihan turha olisi ollut Irlantilaiselta apua kerjätä -kaiken uuden myyminen kestää sille miehelle niiiin kauan!

 And since one trip was successful aka I was still alive, I went for the second narrow one. At this point it was VERY clear, I'm only bringing the narrow ones. The wide ones are probably the same weight than me! And voila, one came into our bedroom.


Ja koska yhden reissun jäljiltä olin edelleen hengissä, ja verkkokalvoilla istui sitkeästi kuva TOISESTA kapeasta ovesta, se oli vähän niin kuin pakko taas lähteä! Ja todellakin tässä vaiheessa täysin ylenkatson leveämpiä ovia...Painavat varmaan saman verran kuin minä itse! Mutta voila, yksi kapea meidän makkariimme!

I DID clean the doors, which is hard to believe, but I let myself believe that this patina (or dirt) add to the charm! Onni was desperately trying to open the door and see where it leads to, and Emsku asking me why is this door here?!? Irish heard that one, and with extremely dry voice commented just: "I would like to know the same!"

Kyllä, kyllä, minä PUTSASIN ovet, ja nyt uskottelen itselleni, että tuo patina (eilkkäs siis paska), joka ei pois lähtenyt, vain lisää ovien charmia. Onni ihmetteli kovasti ovia, ja koitta availla niitä päästäkseen katsomaan, mitä takaa löytyy. Emsku puolestaan ihmetteli että MIKSI on ovia sisällä, ja Irlantilainen tuon kysymyksen kuullessaan totesi varsin kuivakkaan sävyn tahtovansa tietää juurikin saman....

 I do not know for sure, but I assume the chair and table were meant to be together. The table was made for my Granny's Granny. I would like to bring these ld chairs into the dining room too, but Irish needs to be convinced first! What a task for the future!


Ja eikös niin, että näyttäisivät tuoli ja pöytä kuuluvan samaans arjaan? Pöydästä tiedän,e ttä mummuni isoäiti sen on aikoinaan kalusteekseen saanut. Hyvin on pöytä säilynyt, tuoli on viettänyt vauhdikkaampaa elämää! Tahtoisin noita vanhoja tuoleja ruokapöydän ympärille, mutta Irlantilaisen naama, kun sellaiste menin ehdottelemaan... Oh ja NO! Himppusen haastetta tulevaisuuteen, että saan ideani läpi!

 See how I'm not a interior blogger at all...All the cables and laptops showing and if you look close enough, probably also some dust... ;D


Enkä todellakaan ole mikään sisustusbloggaaja; kaikki nuo johdot ja läppärit ja ei tunnelmavalaistusta...Jos tarkasti katsoo, niin näkee varmasti myös pölyä... ;D

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

Tänään sitä tuli. Taivaan täydeltä lunta, nimittäin. Nyt tosin jo plussan puolella mennään taas. Ja hyvä niin. Kaivinkonetta ei kuulu eikä näy, lehmien vesitilanne on siis edelleen huolestuttava, jos kovat pakkaset iskee päälle!


Today we had lots of it! Now we are back on the positive side of the temperatures, and that is good at the moment. We are waiting for the digger to solve the water problem for the cattle and if there is heavy frost, things will get difficult...

DIY 4

Kotitekoinen nestesaippua!!

Home-made Liquid Soap!


Pinterestin kautta taas löydetty tämäkin ohje, ja hei, toimii!! Vaikka perheemme onkin vain nelihenkinen(tai no viisi, kun Ranskalainen kotiorja nyt on lähes päivittäin täällä) kuluu saippuaa paljon käsipesuissa. Maatalon töitä, ulkotöitä, Emsku rakastaa käsien pesua, Onnin pyllypyykin jälkeistä pesua...Sitä kuluu! Nyt on taas säästöä luvassa ja rikkauksia pankkitilille:
I found it through Pinterest (who would have guessed...) and yes, it works!!  Although there is only four od us (well, five, since the French Houseslave is here almost on daily basis) we use lots of liquid soap to wash hands with. Dirty work outdoors, Emsku loooves washing her hands...We use lots of it!So now, we will save soooo much money and will be so well off:

 So easy to make: 
1) grate a soap bar, I used Palmolive and I used the whole bar, since it was quite small. Cheap and nice smelling. The amount of ingredients seem to depend on the bar used.
2) I added 1,5 table spoons of glycerin
3) I added 8 and1/2 cups of water.
4) Mixed in a big pot and stirred on hot stove until soap flakes were melted.  Then it had to cool down and it thickened. And I got loooooads out of that one bar!

Mitä tapahtui:
1) raastoin ihan tavis-Palmolive palasaippuan ihan normi keittiöraastimella hiutaleiksi. Käytin koko palan, koska se oli aika pieni. Muiden raaka-aineiden määrä näyttää riippuvan käytetystä palasaippuast.
2) Lisäsin 1,5 ruokalusikallista glyseriiniä
3) Lisäsin 8,5 cups vettä (en jaksa tarkistaa, mitä se olisi deseissä...)
4) Kaikki isoon kattilaan ja lämmittämistä, kunnes kaikki hiutaleet olivat sulaneet. Sitten piti malttaa odottaa keitoksen jäähtymistä ja voila,hurja satsi nestesaippuaa!!

Miten ekologinen omatuntoni hurrasi, kun pystyin käyttämään samat vanhat nestesaippuapulloni, ainoa jäte oli yksi palasaippuan paperi, ei isoja muovipulloja! Alkuperäinen ohje hiukan eri määrillä löytyy täältä.

My eco consciousness was cheering; I was able to use the old plastic liquid soap bottles, no other waste than a paper wrap of the soap bar, no big plastic bottles! The original post with little bit different amounts of stuff, can be found here.


LOVE IT!!!