Past month and so....

Hi there! I'm sorry I haven't written for some time. I can't decide if I should stop blogging entirely or continue like this - write occasionally when I feel I have the time. The blog is good to have as documentation, but to be honest, I don't really feel it's adding much to my life. In order for a blog to work, I now understand you have to regularly post and also read other blogs, but I don't have time to read other blogs anymore and writing here also takes time. I prefer fb, where I can quickly see what goes on with other people and there is a lot of communication going on, which of course is vital for me. But since I don't really feel like quitting completely, I'll continue like this...I'll write occasionally, when I feel like it! 

At the beginning of the year I was prepared to turn a page, begin anew, start with a year I could look back on as a "good" one. But, unfortunately, you can't always decide what happens and the past months have been about bad health. If it hasn't been my son, it's been myself or then both together. The result has been the same - I've had to stay home a lot and have not been able to work much, which of course has added to a feeling of slight desperation about finances and frustration about just being at home, not seeing people and feeling tired and without energy. There has been a some time periods (days..) in between when we've been ok and I've though we can move on, but then again son has started coughing, for instance, or I've felt a slight temperature...But now - knock on wood - I've been able to work full time after Easter and I really, really hope we'll stay well now. April is usually the busiest month for me work wise, so the timing of the flues has been bad...I've been working for two weeks in daycare, with a few weeks in between. There was supposed to be a week more, but that was when D had his stomach problems. what else have I done...haven't written hardly at all, but right now I'm in a project to write six articles for a personnel magazine, which I always do spring and fall. I've also become guardian for a new Afghani boy (14) and local tv is "on", few interviews now and then and news presenter once a month. After a few weeks I hope to be able to concentrate on my own writing again.

When I look at these photos I've uploaded from March and beginning of April, everything of course looks fine - I haven't taken pictures of us spread out on the sofa looking miserable :). And, as we talked with a friend of mine, this is still minor, basically I'm a fairly strong and healthy person, no illnesses, except for these occasional flues...so I should be grateful!

Here are some pictures of the good moments from the last month or so...:

In between we had a picnic in the garden - a bit of a change to just sitting inside....

We still have Elmer (yellow) and Maya. I'm very fond of them now, love having them hop around the garden. It's a bit critical though, I'm so hoping there'll stay on our premises and not visit our neighbour's, which are right next to us, and unfortunately, with nicer lawns....

Spring was well under way and then we suddenly got a lot of snow again :(. This is the  view from my  desk, we're next to the road.

Pekka has spring feelings, Fia is not very interested. They still don't get along...after more than 1,5 years, sigh. But at least they can be in the same room together, if there is enough space in between them...

I love it when the birds are returning. Swans and cranes. The other day I saw a redhawk (I think in English....) in a field  - my cousin knows a lot about birds and I always consult him when I see something interesting and new to me.

Two weeks ago me and my friend B went on a cruise to Sweden (Helsinki - Stockholm) - didn't bring my camera and the camera in the phone is fairly useless.... They had "Cuba"-weeks on the  ferry and it also happened to be "den stora finlandssvenska kryssningen "("the big cruise for Swedish-speaking Finns :) , which we didn't know beforehand. It was the best cruise I've ever been on - even the train ride down to Helsinki went fast - we sat in the restaurant car and talked to a lot of nice people! On the boat I finally got to dance salsa!! There were two Cuban bands on the boat and one of the members danced with me - he suggested  a bit more as well, but I said it was enough with one Cuban husband :). But it was so nice to dance and also have someone show interest (I was actually quite attracted at first, but then was put off by his obvious interest in me below the neck, not above) :). 

One of my best friends work on the ferry, and she had collected a welcome-"buffet" for us in the cabin with things she knows I like :). She is a wonderful friend and even if she was working, we managed to talk a bit in between.

D is growing, he has his first loose tooth :). Right now he is at his dad's, so I have the weekend to myself. Needed that after the intense past week (6 hours/day at daycare + trying to catch up with a lot of other jobs as well...).