Current Events Archives - Page 5 of 13

by Marja-Leena

near year’s end

images captured early morning, December 22nd

Christmas with our family was wonderful though too short a time. On the morning of the Feast of Stephen our eldest daughter and partner left and that afternoon our good friends arrived. A wonderful time was had with them as always, talking non-stop, eating too much, exchanging gifts and teaching them a new game. This afternoon they left and suddenly it feels very quiet here, a pause in the middle of the holiday season, a chance to catch one’s breath and meditate on the last days of another year and a new one soon to come. The weather is unusually warm and wet — up to 12C or 54F today — so unlike three years ago when we had a major amount of snow.

I hope, dear readers, that your festive season has been a happy one.

December 28, 2011 in Culture, Current Events by Marja-Leena 9 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Winter Stories 2011

Since Christmas 2003, our granddaughter Lael, now eleven, and later joined by her six- year old sister Niamh, have told the most delightful winter stories to share as holiday greetings with family and friends around the world. It’s a real family tradition and collaboration: Mommy collects and scans their drawings then Daddy animates them and puts them on the girls’ website.

And each year since I started blogging, I’ve taken up the tradition of proudly sharing it here. Please visit this year’s two stories at That Person’s Winter Stories. Do move the cursor around, and be patient if the second one may slow down a bit halfway through, it’s worth it. The earlier stories may be found on the site as well, if you haven’t seen them. Enjoy! Happy holidays!

December 25, 2011 in Current Events, Other artists by Marja-Leena 9 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

solstice and yule time

at 9:30 pm here in the Pacific Standard Time zone on this evening of December 2011,
if I understand it right, it is Solstice Time,
time to nod to Midwinter and the pagan traditions of Yule, Yulefest, Jul, Joulu….

time to rejoice that this longest night will soon be over and the days will lengthen,
a good time to wish all of you, my dear friends and readers,
a happy Solstice,  Joyful Christmas, Hauskaa Joulua,
Frohe Weihnachten, Joyeux Noël, Happy Holidays, or whatever you celebrate.

Love and light, peace and joy,
and a big thank you to all of you for your friendship.

December 21, 2011 in Being an Artist, Culture, Current Events by Marja-Leena 5 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

two years ago

While browsing through some photos from two years ago, I was struck by the one above which looks like a double-exposure but I think it’s a combination of views and reflections on windows. I probably rejected it as a bad photo at the time, now it intrigues. On the other hand, I like the one below for being a rare clear image of some of our tree decorations. Such opposites these two images…. in my reactions to them, I suppose.

We enjoyed a lovely visit with a friend here for lunch and some Christmas baking. Another day nearer to the solstice and midwinter, then it is Christmas. Almost ready….

December 20, 2011 in Culture, Current Events by Marja-Leena 9 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

icicles

No, not down here but from a visit to Mt. Seymour a few short weeks ago. I’m enjoying dipping into those photos! Though the weather is much warmer this week (8C or 46F this evening!) I’m still dreaming of a white Christmas, but the weatherman thinks it may not be so. We may have to visit the mountains again for I think eldest daughter is bringing her snowshoes when they come down for Christmas.

After a blessedly short spell earlier this week fighting a cough and cold, I’ve finished the Christmas mailings, done the shopping (except for more food), and baked the stollen and biscotti so far. Tomorrow we’ll set up the tree and youngest daughter and I will decorate it on Monday. The countdown is on, but not anywhere as dramatic as it was in 2008. How are you faring with the preparations, dear readers?

December 17, 2011 in Canada and BC, Current Events, Home by Marja-Leena 12 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Santa Lucia

Illustration by Satomi Ichikawa in Merry Christmas – Children at Christmastime around the world (Wm.Heinemann, 1983)

in white dresses and red sashes…..

Today is Santa Lucia’s Day, celebrated by the Swedish and other Nordic communities. As I wrote a few years ago:

Lucia is the only saint celebrated by the Lutheran Swedes, Finns, Danes, and Norwegians, in celebrations that retain many pre-Christian elements of a midwinter light festival. Her feast day in the West is December 13, by the unreformed Julian calendar the longest night of the year. Lucia also means light, so this is a festival of lights in the dark northern countries. I find it fascinating how the many religious and pagan traditions meld and transform over time into our modern day celebrations.

A young maiden chosen as Lucia wears a white dress and red sash with a crown of candles and greens and leads a procession of other maidens in the same dresses minus the head candles. These processions may be in churches, schools and community halls including at our Scandinavian Centre last weekend and even as parades through towns and cities. Helsinki has an annual parade through the city.

Living in Canada, Lucia has been fairly unknown to me until reading and writing about it here the first time, and again here. The more I read, the more versions and interpretations I find. I rather like this one by Kalle Bergman.

If you aren’t already overwhelmed by too many links…. I keep thinking about light festivals, of which there are so many variations around the world… I love this spectacular one put on by Mother Nature. And listen to this beautiful Sancta Lucia song sung by Karita Mattila, the famous Finnish soprano. Happy Santa Lucia Day!

December 13, 2011 in Culture, Current Events, Finland, Estonia & Finno-Ugric by Marja-Leena 6 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

getting into the mood

for Christmas, that is…

a favourite photo posted three years ago

~ Visited the annual Christmas Craft Fair: at the Scandinavian Centre a week ago Sunday and bought some Christmas gifts and lots of Finnish pulla and Karelian pies, a coffee cake and a few Danish marzipan cookies – tucked most into the freezer but still had a carbohydrate overdose! Served some to guests during the week.

~ Christmas cards and letters: finished printing a week ago, took longer than planned due to a few idiosyncracies with the printer hence a few spoiled prints. Today we start to write letters, the overseas ones first.

~ Cleaning up the garden: when the weather allows, leaves and still more leaves. Pulled out the geraniums, including in a pot next to the door still with one flower, untouched by frost. Tucked in a few bulbs in case some of the older ones don’t come back and added tiny winter pansies, some berried branches and pine tips cut from around the garden to keep out the squirrels and for some Christmasy looks.

~ Outdoor decorations: lights & door wreath went up this weekend. Paperwhite bulbs placed in pebbles and shells inside glasses (like in photo above) and pots and put into the cool solarium in hopes that they will be in bloom at Christmas, not before. Indoor decorating to come bit by bit.

~ Reading: old favourite Christmas posts on my blog like this one (some links no longer working, sorry)

~ Listening: to some favourite Christmas music, such as mentioned here

~ Baking: bought some supplies including Danish marzipan to make the stollen this week.

~ Sunday’s iChat: with family in UK – the granddaughters are lively and excited by all the preparations and community activities – will miss them all again this coming Christmas.

December 5, 2011 in Culture, Current Events, Home by Marja-Leena 7 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Hallowe’en time

BOO!!

Too busy in the studio and too tired and sore after some heavy gardening this past week, I’m taking the lazy route and reposting my spookiest image from two years ago. To put you and me in the mood for this scary season, here is a favourite past Hallowe’en post: Kekri and Samhain.

The Vancouver region features many Hallowe’en events this weekend. Some of our daughters in their young adult years often took part in the Parade of Lost Souls and the little ones loved the Stanley Park Ghost Train. Tomorrow evening the little trick-or-treaters will be roaming from door to door. Later in the evening we’ll hopefully see some wonderful fireworks in our neigbourhood. Happy Hallowe’en to all!

October 30, 2011 in Canada and BC, Current Events, Folk Legends & Myths by Marja-Leena 6 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

weathering october

Summer was short. The rains of fall started early and I’m wondering if we will get any Indian summer. Gardening has been hit and miss. On some rare dry days, I’m trying to take cuttings and divisions and bring in plants. As this is our Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, I am preparing a small dinner of local harvests for just the three of us and daughter’s boyfriend. Thinking of our family farther away, we chatted with eldest daughter on her birthday yesterday and this morning with daughter in the UK. Life continues on in its own steady rhythm within our little world while in the greater world beyond we hear the rumbles of economic and political storms.

October 9, 2011 in Current Events, Home by Marja-Leena 13 Comments »

by Marja-Leena