on clothes

My trusted grey cardigan is breaking apart. I've had it since 1998 (?) and I guess I haven't taken very good care of it. I could've prevented some damages that come from using it a lot. Last summer I looked through the Sartorialist book and there was one page that made me stop a little bit. Not long enough to remember any details, but it was an elderly man wearing a cardigan, a sweater and pants and I thought his style was perfect. That makes me think of a beautiful shop of knitwear in Berlin, what was the name of that place? My new black things are hanging on my door. It can't be helped that black is the best colour to be in. And grey. V would like me to have a Tsumori Chisato horse shirt (we saw it together in a shop but I couldn't find it on the website). I wouldn't mind. But what really bothers me is that there are so many clothes in this world that are outrageously expensive and still they are produced in unacceptable ways. I'm also bothered by the coming elections here in Finland. There is an incredibly dumb party called "true finns", sounds like a joke but they are totally irresponsible and populistic, and popular. That's scary.

10 years ago

I had been thinking about writing something about 10 years ago like Maria did. Today we were playing japanese lunch so I'm thinking about Japan. 10 years ago I was living in Kôenji, Tokyo.

I was studying japanese. I rode around with my bicycle and walked a lot. I loved exploring, looking for an address and finding other places on the way. I went to a lot of gigs, many of my friends were involved with music. I was working at a crazy gallery. I loved japanese sweets. I wanted to buy so many things, but was also happy with just looking. I always passed by a beautiful flower shop when I went to teach finnish. I bought a lot of records. I visited Ôno Kazuo's house. I took a lot of photos of flower petals on the ground. I loved smoking and riding the bicycle at the same time and going to bookshops late in the evening and buying cigarettes at vending machines (I was never a real smoker, this may sound like an odd pro-smoking thing to write, but it's an important memory). I got to know some of the most meaningful people in my life. I could write a very long list of things I loved, I was very happy in Tokyo.

Tastes and scents are such a big factor in what memories are made of.
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10 vuotta sitten asuin Tokiossa ja olin hyvin onnellinen siellä. Maria kirjoitti jokin aika sitten ajasta 10 vuotta sitten ja minä laskin. Siitä on jo niin kauhean kauan. Tänään ajattelin Japania kovasti, kun meillä oli leikki-japanilainen lounas, vaikka minä yritän olla ajattelematta kauheasti, kun haluaisin sinne aina vaan, mutta ei ole rahaa.

hits of sunshine

They help.

food talk

There's a lot going on in our kitchen these days. It's mostly Y's happenings but inspired by him I finally started making bread - my plan since ages. I made one bread root with local organic rye flour and I was given a "french countryside bread" root. So we have these 2 bread roots living here (they need to be fed a couple of times a week). Then there are about 5 variations of sauerkraut. We're reading "Wild fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz. A great book even if you don't plan to ferment anything! I had forgotten the french word "choucroute", such a lovely word. Then there is a kombucha. I hardly dare look at it and I'm not so taken with the taste though. And he's making tofu regularly know. And occasionally goat cheese (when we get goat milk). Y took photos for the new website of our friends, they're offering a big organic food package (they cultivate oats, wheat, rye, broad beans) that should last for half a year. So we have all those beans, flakes, flours, grains to work with. It feels really good to be active with what we eat. I'm just a free passenger with all this though, Y is the one with all these projects. Home dad.
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Keittiö on muuttunut erittäin aktiiviseksi täällä. Siellä tehdään Y:n toimesta tofua, vuohenjuustoa, ainakin 5 erilaista hapankaalia, ruokitaan kombuchaa ja kahta leipäjuurta. Minä huolehdin vain leipähommasta - Y:n esimerkin innoittamana aloin vihdoin harjoitella leipäjuuren tekoa. Meillä on lainassa mahtava kirja, tuo "Wild fermentation". Meillä on myös Luomuruokapaketti.

little man

The big sister has launched the term "little man" here. We are very amused. It's quite a common thing to say about little boys, but somehow not in our vocabulary. I have quite a strict vocabulary. I got this china shirt for him from the flea-market, it was because of a button-up shirt and hands in his pockets that he seemed so masculine.

And the bird: I'm not crazy about this kind of birds, but this one is made by Y as a kid. And as it had an ugly face it has been redone by V. So here it is, hanging in different places.

If I was a ball of yarn.

More V's creations: "a baby congratulation". There is a new kid in the village, a little girl. We took some cake for the family today (chocolate okara, Y made). Silk papers were in the mail I mentioned in the previous post. I like Found while walking. I wish I was more concentrated.
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Uusi paita pienelle. Isosisko lanseerasi termin "pikkumies", meitä naurattaa, se on niin höpö sana. Pikku V pitää usein käsiä taskussa (taskuhousuja on vaan yhdet), ja näyttää ihan katupojalta. Y on tehnyt tuon linnun lapsena, muuten se ei olisi meillä. Ja jos V ei olisi tehnyt sille kauniimpaa naamaa. V teki vauvaonnittelun uudelle pienelle tytölle tässä lähellä. Ja jos olisin lankakerä olisin tuo.

super mail

V has a new penpal over the oceans. The first package (!) to arrive at our door was a wonderful mix of things this girl (just a couple of months younger than V) had put together. It reminded me of these surprise balls. That same day V made this decoration from stuff that was inside. I think it's fabulous. We will have a lot of fun sending mail back. Thank you!


V sai ensimmäisen paketin (!) uudelta kirjeenvaihtoystävältä. Paketissa oli vaikka mitä. Aineksista syntyi samana päivänä tällainen. Ihanaa. Ehkä tytöt vielä jonain päivänä voivat tavata ja V osaa englantiakin sitten.

buttons

Yes, I had to go to photoshop again. It is little V in a brown alpaca cardigan I made for V. My camera is full of out-of-focus photos as there's something wrong with the 50 mm lens auto-focus. I like these. And the cardigan looks sooo nice on him, perfect colour and cool shape.

It is a huge step towards spring when the sun starts shining to the blue room again. It makes me feel like I can make it. To springspringspring. I've hurt my hand and can't knit. Nor change nappies.
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Aurinko on palannut siniseen huoneeseen. Pahin on takana. On se. Auto-focuksessa on vikaa, kamera on täynnä epätarkkoja. Jotkut niistä on kivoja. Pikku-V villatakissa, jonka tein joskus V:lle. Siinä on vähän liian monta nappia. Siksi se just onkin niin hieno.

wool baby

Today is his name day. Some photos from last year. I haven't taken too many photos of him sleeping, as I always have to be doing something during his naps. When V was a baby I'd just be watching her sleep. Or sleeping next to her. Neither him nor her are at home though, it has been my working day.

figure skating

That was on another evening. Electric light photos are not nice, but this was so cute. V was quite impressed, she's just learning. We should remember to take her out to the skating place more.

I am strangely happy. It has to do with
-the new shelf and all the positive effects it has
-recent extremely nice and inspiring e-mails
-being almost done with a translation
-the sun
-self-made müsli
-knittings
-soup delivery=friends came over with a soup
-lingonberry-and-whatever-cake that turned out very nice
-new-born babies (one is due very very soon)
-my babies being so big already
-going to town tomorrow
-Y making his portfolio, that also
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Taitoluistelukatsomo. Se oli aika suloista katsottavaa minulle. Ja taitoluistelu on kyllä aika makeeta. Aikamatka. Pitäisi muistaa viedä V jäälle usein, ei kai sitä muuten voi oppia. Olen kauhean hyvällä tuulella, luettelin tuossa jotain syitäkin. Ehkä vain planeetat ovat suotuisissa asennoissa. Lakritsateetä ja puolukka-siemen-ym-kakkua.