Adventure day!

Last weekend, after a long bout of illness and cabin fever, I decided to visit our nearest town, Oregon City, and have a little adventure day.  I discovered a walking tour that is going to be near the top of my sightseeing list for guests.

I learned something new - in addition to being the end of the Oregon Trail, Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains.  The downtown is separated from the rest of the town by a sheer 90-foot cliff, which was accessible only by stairs until an elevator was built in 1915.  We took the elevator down (the original one was replaced in the 50's), climbed up the steps along a waterfall, and walked the promenade along the top of the cliff.

Kaikki oli niin kaunista

On Saturday my son was given a name and baptized here in his own home. There was plenty of drama involved. His older sister had a high fever before and after (but at least not during) the party and the ceremony was interrupted by his younger sister's first nosebleed ever. We also really wrestled with the name issue with final discussions taking place a little last minute, the night before. Other than all that and the vicar showing up late, everything was just beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed the presence of family as well as the result of hours of cleaning. I even finished the special outfit well on time. But one of the absolute best things about having a party comes afterwards, on the next day around lunch time, when you remember that there is still some leftover cake for dessert.

Citrus

Thank goodness for citrus.  I still don't understand why this summery-feeling fruit arrives during the most miserable post-holiday depths of winter.  Is there another fruit that completely comes and goes during the winter months?  In February, it seems many like-minded foodie-types go crazy over the arrival of Meyer lemons, myself included.  In addition to being sweeter than a regular lemon, the peel is thin and soft like leather, and has a perfumey scent and flavor that is completely unique, like a tropical flower.  I have three things I make to enjoy these lemons: the juice goes into lemon bars or lemonade concentrate for the freezer, and the peels get made into limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur.  Last year was actually my first time making limoncello, but it is fairly simple to make and most importantly, doesn't allow a single peel to go to waste.  Fortunately, I still have some of last year's batch in the freezer, so I won't be impatient over waiting three months for this year's batch!

 

 

Aurinko!

Here comes the sun! Creeping over the hill and lingering in our living room a few minutes longer each day. Welcome sunlight, you are just in time for our celebration on Saturday. (That's why I stopped by a day early. Tomorrow I'll be vacuuming.)

Play

Today I am using my allotted sick leave from the blog and pausing to remember a play date with one of the boy's best friends from last February.

Uutta lunta (taas)

I just love waking up to fresh snow that has fallen overnight, though I do sometimes worry about those members of the family who have to spend time in traffic on a day like this.








This little spruce has really gone under cover!

Little things

 

Rajapyykkejä

When I turned 20 I was living in St. Petersburg, Russia for a year. I spent the afternoon in the Winter Palace with friends and the sunlight made the falling snow look like silver in the air.

I can't remember anything about turning 25. That year though, only a month or so after 9/11, I flew across "the pond" to visit family and to attend a certain wedding 10 time zones away. The next few years were a very troubled time for me.

When I turned 30, things were a lot better again. I threw a party in a bar that used to be a school, in a room called the history class. In the spring I would again travel to St. Petersburg, this time for six weeks and with a three-year-old. And during the last days of the year there would be an encounter that would change my life. In a great bluster we became so very happy together.

Next week I will quietly turn 35. My personal experience is that it just gets better. I've even accepted the wrinkles and the first grays, because I'm happier now than I was at 30, 25, or 20, when I didn't have any.

I'm having to postpone my party, maybe until summertime. I'm a little sorry I didn't celebrate one third of a century (33,333333... years), so I hope I don't forget this one. Fortunately a friend of mine (whom I have known since my early twenties) has promised to hold me to my word.