The great expedition of this year (cell phone images)

Two weeks at sea, 352 kilometres and terrible heat wave.

Mosquitoes, bloody mosquitoes

Damn! I got these bites during last weeks at the grandfather's old cottage. This is one of the hardest mosquito seasons for ages, and they are really killing me. Lumi is fine, and Riitta doesn't get even a single pimple!

So, happy holidays, if I am alive in August!

New Summer Dress

...by Mother!

Planting Time Is Now!

We had such a good time at grandfather's Old Cottage. Lumi (a.k.a. 'Snow') is such a big girl now, so she can help us in the garden.

Horsesh*t and fresh mould

Gardening is dirty business. We have been building six composters into the cottage garden during last five years. One of the neighbours gave us two years ago lots of manure for free, and now it was time to mix it with fresh compost... and wash hands carefully afterwards!

Amusement Park in Spring

... who is happier, the mother or the daughter? Or father?

Soap Bubbles, smoked salmon and asparagus in the garden

May 1st is a national holiday in Finland and it is perfect time to celebrate spring. Long gloomy winter makes Finns party hard, and surely, we really did that... until 4 a.m. !

So, on Saturday we were soooooo lazy and took our aching bodies out to the garden in the afternoon to have a little picnic with good Spanish cava. Riitta made some soap bubbles, and Lumi just went grazy.

Chilly Spring at Sea

Oh boy, was it good to be camping and paddling, even if my drysuit shoes were frozen on last Saturday morning! Six days at sea, with few good books and good camping gear... lots of migrating birds (falcons, ducks, grey herons) and three eagles! I did test my drysuit, just to be sure about it after several years hard use. I did find one minor scratch. Ahh... the shades? I get terrible migraines from the spring sun. All photographs in co-operation with Alli 'Auntie' Lind.

Paddling at sea, at last!

I am going to Hanko for five or six days, we are starting our annual spring expedition today!

Ahem, Easter Fun?

Uhh... Lumi got an ear inflammation, Riitta's body temperature has been below normal for almost two weeks - and I got serious stomach problems and spent last night hugging the toilet seat. Very painful. And we all have a flu.

Three exhibition crates will be leaving our studio this week, I am now worried, if we can really pack them in time. Now, I have never liked '9 by 5' life, but it would surely help to have a helping hand sometimes. There are no sick leaves and sometimes no holidays, when you are a free-lance or an artist. Sigh...

Easter Fun

The eastern Orthodox catholic tradition of singing and giving eggs when celebrating Easter has mixed with western Trulli (witch) tradition. You can the result here: Lumi goes out to wish happy year to our neighbours... and oh boy,was that chocolate tasty!

Best birthday party, ever!

I did turn 49 at the beginning of March when we were spending extra holidays at grandfather's cottage.

Lumi offered me snow cakes with snow coffee in her snow kitchen in the garden. In spite of the fact that my precious a$$ almost froze in the snow, it was best birthday party I have ever participated.

Hibernating, again...

Birthday Party

She is two years old now! We had open doors for more than five hours and we got 50 visitors. Lumi took it well, even if it was a bit exhausting for her. Lots and lots of kids in our tiny living room -the image reveals the details of the battleground...

Baking bread in December... at Grandfather's Cottage

Oh boy, isn't it great fun to do some BAKING! But, sadly, those days are over, we are trying a diet and avoiding carbohydrates... Look at mother's face when our victorious baker leaves the battleground!

Best Shots of December (1)

Best of Shots of November

...at the Grandfather's cottage... my grazy girls!

Fasting in January

I have been drinking only vegetable juices and water for a week -taking life slowly in this month, though there are lots of new lectures and shows coming. It feels good, after spending three-weeks at grandfather's old cottage: too much good cooking and full-bodied red wines!

(Please, notice that fasting is not recommended for losing weight. It can be dangerous. I am planning to change my diet after this 'slow time')

Happy Holidays!

New Book

My partner Riitta published a book last evening: check it! I am making a video work about portraits and depression.

We haven't given up -even tough everything takes much more time- and we feel sometimes quite thin and weak...