i brought the monkey in

It happened already in April. The monkey had been staying in the cold veranda. It's painted by my dear ex. While I was away on a trip a million years ago.

Wonderful weather. They were planting onions and carrots at the kindergarten. We had a parents' activity evening last week, creating a vegetable garden area. I should work, as usual, but I'm very tempted to go outside and touch the ground as well.

Me and V, we've been traveling and Y has started making the upstairs floor. So cool.

I have a totally new phase in my pregnancy. I haven't really been enjoying it so far, but now I do. I laugh.

+

Suomi meinaa unohtua. Apinataulu sai paikan hirsiseinältä. Entisen poikaystävän maalaama sata vuotta sitten. (Miljoona on todellakin vain sata suomeksi.)

Tärkein asia on, että raskaana oleminen on mukavaa. Hauskaa. Mua naurattaa. Ei ollut tähän asti. Siitä on pitänyt kirjoittaakin jotakin.

Toiseksi tärkein on, että Y alkoi tehdä yläkerran lattiaa. Pyörryttää ajatellakin, että syksyyn mennessä kävelemme portaita ylös. Ihana isä-poika-kaksikko toi paksuja lattialankkuja läheiseltä sahalta. V:n lippis oli kauniimpi kuin niiden.

one more Italia

We went to Pisa on Y's birthday. This is about the closest photo to the leaning tower. What a Disneyland this place was. But the Cathedral was beautiful. A piece of its wall.

Central station of Milano. We spent the last night there, we had a kind of nice walk looking for a hotel, found a nice one. It is very rare for me to stay in a hotel. I wish I had had more time in Milano, I get so excited about a big city. Nature is nice, but... city streets make my heart beat faster, and I like that. I almost had my first blog meeting in Milano, kinda. Couldn't make it on the day we arrived. I visited a little piece of Japan in Milano, beloved Muji.

I wish I hadn't lost my little skull earring on this trip. I got it on my first trip to Japan 11 years ago. I forgot it on the table at my friends' house then, but got it back. Now it's gone forever.

That's it about Italy I think.

Now I'm off to check how my baby is doing

äiti

On Sunday, Mothers' day. I didn't get breakfast in bed; instead it was at the forest swing. I put on a light pink skirt (found in the closet, a skirt I never used to wear, but it fits with the belly), because V likes it. There were light pink roses and my mum's old pink table cloth. A pink and bright morning.



The timid spring of Finland. One of the trees I planted last year was a purple bird cherry. It's preparing it's cute pink flowers. We took V's birthday rose out from the cellar and it had been waiting already. STRANGE albino branches.

No niin. Siis äitienpäiväkuvia. Kaikki on niin hailakkaa ja arkaa sen Italian vehreyden jälkeen. Mutta liikuttavaa. Kuvittelen miten nopeasti taimet kasvavat Italiassa. Viime vuonna istutettu purppuratuomi tekee kukkia, käyn joka päivä kaksi kertaa katsomassa miten se edistyy. Muutkin taimet ovat hengissä! V:n ruusu, joka asui talven kellarissa, oli tehnyt yli 30cm pitkiä albiino-oksia. Se on aika kamalan näköinen. Muistuttaa mua kaikesta ällöttävästä, kuten valkoisesta vasikanlihasta. Ja sitä kautta kaikesta muusta eläinten rääkkäyksestä ja riistosta.
Joo-o, tällaista suomea.

Cinque terre

World heritage area, train tunnels, walking paths between villages. Incredible sceneries, salty breeze, beautiful day, bad restaurant. This was my big crying day, but I enjoyed everything anyway. We climbed up the stairs to Corniglia, then climbed back down and walked to Manarola.
(I always feel like there are not enough photos of me and V. There are quite many from this trip, the bottom one is my favourite.)

Today is Mothers' Day!

Mä saatan kirjoittaa suomeksikin jotain joskus lähitulevaisuudessa. Tuntuu hassulta, että on monta suomalaista lukijaa, ja ne joutuu lukemaan englantia. Hassua on myös laittaa näitä kuvia tänne, ne on vaan matkakuvia ja suurin osa kuvista esittää tytärtä. Mutta tämä paikka oli hieno, maailmanperintökohde. Voisin keräillä niitä.

Oh, and some photos are obviously taken by Y.

down the path

When we first arrived to the house of C's aunt, V started picking flowers. Lots of flowers to be picked.

This is the view from our hill, from the house, from the door, from the window.

why did people ever move up to these latitudes?

This was our path down to the town of La Spezia.
So many shades of green.
I lost my sunglasses on this path on the first day.

Back to work now...
I will post some more photos. It was the first time we had the digital camera with us on a trip. Y also brought a big Linhof with polaroid.

dear home

It will be so good to be away from you for a while. We'll have a fresh new start when I come back, ok?

Love,

H

I was ready earlier than I expected, some more photos to take and send, then it is Freedom! But I haven't packed yet (who cares?). But I have sewn some missing buttons and half of a skirt.

Yesterday I chose to miss the Deerhoof concert (I regret it) and instead started sewing the skirt and watched a very good film. Ended up staying up almost as late as the concert would've taken. It feels like I'm getting my life back! The film was "Thumbsucker". Mike Mills was great before, now he's even greater. Every frame so serene and collected. Tilda Swinton was wonderful. Lou Pucci was sensitive, charming and fresh. I love it when funny and absurd even meets touching.

The photo is a little bit dedicated to Celia. From our table, continuation to yesterday. Zebra and flamingo have become friends now that ostrich died. They're eating some kind of easter leftover soup with feathers and pieces of yarn and "willow-cats". V said it's a soup with carrot, tofu and lentils.

C U in May