Meaningless! says the Teacher
By eija | March 7, 2010 | 1 Comment »
A while back a dear friend wrote me in an e-mail:
“And how do you manage to keep all those balls in the air? All those blogs, FB, dogs, photography, riding, family, flute-playing, baking (for the church), working – not to mention all the other important things! You make me tired just thinking of them all ;))“
Well, the truth is – I don’t. My life seems to go on in phases. At times I write, another times I do music – at times I’m sitting apathetically on the sofa and getting nothing done. Now the last one seems to be prevailing…
So, I haven’t been blogging in a while. Haven’t felt like it. Still don’t. As I told Lorna last night, my brain seems to be non-stick to any ideas these days. Like a Teflon coated frying pan. The ideas come and go and I never see them again. And I really don’t care.
Maybe it’s the spring and the light coming back. Maybe it’s simply the life that’s basically ok but still feels overwhelming. But when it comes to blogging, my feelings have been pretty much along the lines of Ecclesiastes:
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:2)
(Once again) I don’t know if I’ll continue blogging or not. That remains to be seen – I’m not worrying about that now. I’m feeling somehow “out” and until I get back “in” I… well, I don’t know what. Anywhoo – if you want you can find me over at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eijag. Feel free to send me a friend request.
A friend of mine – a great source of encouragement and blessing – has been hospitalized. They’re suspecting a coronary thrombosis, on top of the leucemia (in remission I think) and Parkinson’s disease… So prayers are highly appreciated again.
See you around!
-e-
Topics: Life
1 Comment »
Out of office
By eija | February 25, 2010 | 2 Comments »
My blogging has been rather sparse again, due to many reasons. Lack of motivation, energy and topics, busyness and pure lazyness. Etc.
Last weekend seems ages ago. On Saturday we had the Israel-themed gathering at church. It went well, was well attended and people seemed to enjoy it. Plus we heard some really interesting teaching – and I survived the slide show technology! On Sunday the service was really good and encouraging. So it was a good weekend :)
On Monday the girls and I headed towards north again. We spent three nights at my brother’s and came home tonight. While there we of course visited my grandmother who was talking so much our ears felt hot… Obviously she was happy to have someone to talk to :) Then, of course, we spent a lot of time outside with the horse and the ponies. The beginning of the week was very cold. So much so that yesterday we couldn’t go “horsing”. But today, as the photo shows, the weather was glorious! Only few grades below freezing and the sun shone from the deep blue sky and made the cheeks feel warm. Ahh… It hasn’t been this “warm” in ages!
I didn’t ride at all this time. Today the white blockhead (the horse, L) was testing Miss 13 a lot. When my brother came back to the stable from taking his wife to work L decided he had enough ang galloped away from the ring to the stable and my brother. And there was nothing Miss 13 could do about it! She brought him back and I took a firm grip from one of the reins. He still didn’t want to go back to work and tried to get loose – only I didn’t let go… He yanked so hard that I fell into the deep snow – along with my camera that was hanging from my neck! I hit my shoulder a bit, I don’t know where (the ground/the camera/a hoof) and Miss 13’s boot touched (lightly) the side of my head. When I got up again I really made it clear to him that there’s no way he can get away with behaving like that – and eventually, after some really hard work from Miss 13 he settled down and did what was expected from him. Heh… I’m ok, except maybe a slight bruise on my neck – and even my camera seems to be working just fine despite the snowbath.
Oh, and as you can see from the picture, my sister-in-law’s puppy learned to ride, too :)
Tomorrow I’m heading towards my favourite retreat place for the weekend. I will take my computer with me but I don’t have an internet connection – so I’ll see you next week!
-e-
Topics: Life
2 Comments »
Friday!
By eija | February 19, 2010 | Comments Off
This has been a broken week. However, now it’s finished and that’s good. Southern Finland is on winter break next week – no school for the kids and I took a vacation too. On Sunday or Monday the girls and I will head up to visit my brother again. I’m just hoping the weather people have mistaken and the temperatures won’t go as low as they’ve predicted…
Yesterday I did a full re-installation on our oldest laptop. It’s the kids’ second computer. Now it works like a charm so they don’t always have to fight for the other one.
My grandmom was taken to the hospital last night with high fever, but she already got back home today. Still, prayers are appreciated. She’s already 93 (94 in June) and I’m not sure if she’s allright with God.
Today I went in for a blood test and while there took the swine flu vaccination too. Now it’s done, my arm hurts and I’m just hoping I can manage playing the flute tomorrow!
It’s my nameday today. That’s a Finnish peculiarity – each day has its own selection of names on the calendar, and people with those names celebrate (or don’t…) a nameday. Kind of like a second birthday. I find it a bit stupid and my family doesn’t celebrate namedays. However my friend David sent me a funny e-card, Mr Right brought me a big bunch of beautiful red tulips and the oldies from church sent me another book so that was nice :) More importantly, today is Pepe’s 4th birthday and to honour that I took my camera and snapped a few pics. One of them is in my photoblog.
Relaxing weekend to everyone!
-e-
Topics: Life
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Outdated
By eija | February 18, 2010 | Comments Off
Didn’t you know that nobody counts sheep anymore when trying to fall asleep? Nowadays the thing is snowflakes. Ya know, there are plenty of those around!
One snowflake…
Two snowflakes…
Three snowflakes…
Four snowflakes…
Five snowflakes…
Six snowflakes…
Seven sn…zz
zzzzhhhh….
-e-
Topics: Life
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Blogging just for the sake of blogging
By eija | February 16, 2010 | Comments Off
Today’s my grandfather’s birthday. He would’ve been 100 years old today, but he died 19 years ago, a few months before I got married.
God did a great job creating horses. Riding yesterday was great again and MLM behaved beautifully – even if the others quite didn’t… But we had some good laughs and nobody got hurt :)
My column in the Christian magazine is discontinued. The editor in chief still wishes me to continue contributing to the magazine and asks what would I like to write. Umm… I don’t have a clue!
We have an Israel-themed event at church on Saturday. Music from H and yours truly as well as one other lady, so after choir practise today we’ll be planning the program. I should also figure out how to connect the computer to the church sound system so that the slideshow background music would come out properly. Sigh. Please, God, send us a sound-tech-geek!
Tomorrow another dentist appointment. This time I’m equipped with two different panic-prevention-pills. The doc told me to try one of them in advance. I did last night. Didn’t dare taking a whole pill because I’m pretty sensitive to meds. Now, 18 hours later I still feel very, very tired. Well, being awake at 4 am two nights in a row might have something to do with that too…
Note to self: Printing with printer A doesn’t happen if you have the cable attached to printer B…
Last night I had a nightmare: For some reason my parents, Mr Right’s mom and aunts and who else came into the house for some reason. Mr Right had not warned me at all. The house was a mess, including the bathroom where they all went to look at something! *shivers*
Miss 13 has a wonderful assignment from home economics class: To clean up her room, change her sheets and wash the toilet! I hope the next one will be vacuuming and washing the windows :)
I’m hungry. The sauce is almost ready but I still need to cook the spaghetti. After eating it’s choir, Israeli music and the unuderstandable word of dataprojectors and sound systems. I’d much rather go to the stables with Miss 13.
-e-
Topics: Life
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Time?
By eija | February 13, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Today I got an e-mail from Lorna saying “time you blogged again!” and yeah, I actually haven’t blogged since Monday. Maybe that’s because I really don’t have anything worth posting?
I have a lot of things on my “to do -list” – but I don’t seem to get anything done. Which isn’t something I can say about my dear pooches…
I have a big dracaena in the living room (the picture isn’t my plant). Or soon I can say “I had”… Seems the darling boys have taken up gardening while alone at home… They’ve chopped at least four tops off of the plant so far. Well it did need some pruning but I would’ve preferred doing it by myself.
Yesterday they obviously were a bit bored and tried to pass the time by watching some dvd’s. And today they had been hunting – when we came home from grocery shopping there were pieces of sheepskin on the floor!
I guess the long cold period is getting to them too. For them it’s the warmer the better – so temperatures below freezing isn’t something they enjoy and therefore trips outside have been very limited for a long time now. However, I’m taking them for a walk now, despite the cold. But I might end up carrying them when their toes freeze up.
-e-
Topics: Life
1 Comment »
Failed
By eija | February 8, 2010 | 2 Comments »
I took my car to the inspection today. It’s a routine thing. Only it didn’t pass! The man said that one of the rear strings is broken. So I have a month to get it fixed and show it at the inspection office again. Sigh.
Topics: Life
2 Comments »
Pain and pastries – and lost and found!
By eija | February 7, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Seriously I haven’t posted in a week??? Well I had a headache most of the week, both dogs needed taking care of, one with a sore throat, another with a slightly infected operation scar and Miss 9 hurt her toe at school on Wednesday and stayed home the rest of the week. Also I’ve tried to work on some of my music and struggled to make one website the way I wanted it…
February the 5th is marked as the day of the Finnish national poet, J.L.Runeberg. His wife was a skilled lady in many ways (also a great writer herself) and she created a cupcake that became Runeberg’s named pastry: Runeberg’s torte. They’re available around Runeberg’s day every year – but in my home town, which also was Runeberg’s home town, they’re available around the year in some places. I’ve never liked them, I think there’s too much of the cake stuff and then the super sweet raspberry jam with the annoying seeds in it… so I rather pass them. But this weekend Miss 13 wanted to bake them herself. She had a modified recipe and the result was much better than the “real” ones are. And I only helped her a little bit, she made these pretty much herself!
So tomorrow a new week starts again. There’s work – belch – Miss 13 needs a new bus card and I must take my car to the inspection – the last possible day is Wednesday! But in general life is pretty good.
Oh, and lost and found: Previously I have several times prayed for lost bicycle keys and at least one cell phone to be found and they have appeared again. A friend of mine found her wedding ring on a sand beach where it had been for two-three years. Yes, she prayed that she’d find it :) A couple of months ago Miss 9 lost her camera battery charger. It was nowhere. Of course she was pretty distressed about it so I’ve prayed for it to be found. Last night I did that again. I reminded God that He knows where all the lost items are and asked Him to show us where the said charger was. This morning I got an idea of asking if it was in Mr Right’s drawer – they both have Olympus cameras so I thought maybe there had been a mix-up. And what do you know – there it was! You can guess Miss 9 was happy :)
And Lorna yes, a certain bunch of keys was in my prayers, too.
Blessings to your week everyone!
-e-
Topics: Finland, Life
2 Comments »
01022010
By eija | February 1, 2010 | 3 Comments »
That’s today’s date. A funny number, isn’t it? It’s also a day after Mr Right’s birthday – which equals my birthday. Still with me? Yeah. Yesterday was Mr Right’s birthday and today is mine. We aren’t ones to celebrate fiercely. Yesterday was church day and at the church coffee we celebrated a friend’s 50th birthday. Mr Right and I exchanged presents already around New Year so I didn’t expect anything at all.
Yesterday Mr Right and I were given a nice thick book, a story that takes place in Rome a.d. 53-65. I loved reading the chronicles by Bodil and Thoene Brock and I’m sure this book will be a good read, too :)
Today when I came home from work, totally ready for a nap before riding, my parents came in. They brought two blue potted flowers, self made strawberry jam, cream and a pile of crepes – made by my dad. Mom brought me the contents of her jewellry box – including her confirmation cross, a golden necklace that kids had to use during the war when travelling by train, and a beautiful cameo brooch. Then suddenly there was someone behind the door – ringing the doorbell which doesn’t work… I did some fierce browsing through my brain and was SO proud of myself to actually connect the face with the right person! It was Lorna’s friend, bringing me a card and a beautiful bunch of tulips from Lorna!
Then my parents left and I started to get ready for my riding class. I was just about to go out of the door when Mr Right came home, with a bunch of roses and anemones etc.
I didn’t feel like going riding – again. But I went anyway, just hoping I wouldn’t get “the ferrari” this time. Well, the teacher must’ve read my mind and for the first time after a long time I got to ride my beloved Princess Sleeping Beauty a.k.a. MLM (my loyal mount), the gallant stallion… ok he’s a gelding but anyway, I love him lots and he’s just great :) The weather was only a couple of degrees below freezing but since afternoon we’ve had a real blizzard. It was kind of fun riding in that awful weather, even though at times I felt the snow creeping inside my collar, blinding my eyes and covering everything. The riding was great but I got a nasty headache – which was driven out with the help of some pickled cucumber and two strong painkillers.
However, now I’m more than ready to hit the sack and call it a day. Just hoping we won’t be snowed in by the morning – the blizzard should continue until tomorrow evening at least!
-e-
Topics: Life
3 Comments »
Doggy hospital
By eija | January 29, 2010 | Comments Off
Wow, the temperature says “only” -15 below zero! Now where is my bikini…? Now it should be getting gradually warmer until Sunday night when it’ll drop back down again. And it says more snow every day – last night we got almost 10 cm (4 inches), by the noon there was two inches more – and it’s been snowing more or less the entire day!
The pooches survived the visit to the vet yesterday. Actually I went there twice with Moriz because his wound started to bleed shortly after we came home. So now he’s wearing a super-stylish net and an extra thick dressing that looks like a diaper :)
Pepe didn’t have tooth problems after all, which is good. But he was diagnosed with large tonsils that were inflamed – that’s why he’s been drooling. So he was given antibiotics for the tonsils and also his teeth were cleaned and nails clipped extra short. He’ll also be given meds for heartburn, to minimize the irritation it causes for the tonsils.
Since the vet visit I’ve been doing pretty much nothing but looking after the pooches. Trying to make sure Moriz doesn’t do any big jumps or leaps and that way rip up the stitches – and every time they wake up, I’ve hurriedly taken Moriz’ dressing away, put wooly sweaters on them, some clothes for myself and try to make it outside in the freezing cold with them before they pee inside.
The dogs slept through the entire night but I didn’t. I felt as if I was half awake the whole time and looked at the time every two hours. Yawn…
Here’s Pepe after the treatment, still “out” and with the IV… (Click the images and a bigger one opens up in a new browser window)
This is Moriz after coming home. Because of the sedatives he was cold all the time, so he had his wooly sweater on even inside and in addition to that I wrapped him in a fleece blanket. He looked very comfy there :)
Then Moriz in his lovely string vest :)
Topics: Life
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