First leaves falling on my head

As every summer, we went back to the village where my dad as a little boy used to spend his holidays. There is this place that everyone knows as English Park. One could get easily lost exploring it. I was walking along its massive oak trees with my sister, old bike and two neighbour's dogs, and how beautiful it was when the warm orage light shone through the branches. And with the sunshine, first leaves started falling, or rather flying and slowly landing all around me. It seemed so slow. As if time wasn't even there. But at the same moment it was flying by and autumn was here again.

Simply...

There is only a few days left until the familiar school rush falls on me again so I didn't want to waste them and wanted to spend them feeling filled with the summer freedom, still forgetting about all worries, enjoying every little joy of the day, having no notice of time passing by, free as a bird :) I've had some friends helping me and I must say, we've been given some sweet and memorable moments so far.

...Sunset picnic in the middle of the field, the  three of us sipping from vintage porcelain tea cups, sharing delicious cherry pies, telling each other stories of our childhood tricks, fairy dancing and racing across the meadow, burying a secret treasure box of our memories and simply.... dreaming.

...Balancing on a rope bridge and immediately walking the same way back only across the river on silky rocks, laughing and almost falling with each step, writing a bottle message and sending it with the stream in a paper boat. And at last, standing on the tiptoes and looking through the roof window at a hot air ballon making its way through the candy floss clouds ...simply beautiful.

Speaking of river, I have a song to share http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4QQ7HYYdWw

The Tree of Life

Ever since I first heard about the new film The Tree of Life I've been randomly coming back to it in my mind and wondering what this all could be about. I should mention that it won the "Palme d'Or" at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Seeing the trailer and reading some reviews, it must be something extraordinary, something maybe hard to describe, quite abstract, that has maybe never been here before.
Even though I still don't know what the film is really about, I believe it will be an overwhelming art piece to watch. There seems to be a lot of light, emotions, and beauty. We will see I guess...

"There are two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things. The nuns taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end."

Some reviews:

"Normally, in describing a film one says this is the story of... da da da da. But this film is NOT a story in any but the crudest sense of the word. It is an impression... an impression of a childhood - perhaps Malick's own childhood, which becomes, through Malick's poetry, an impression of childhood itself... of being tactile, of feeling the love of one's parents, of experiencing the arrival of a sibling, of learning to walk... of a thousand things that we take for granted, but are wonderful and shape us more than we can imagine."

"The tree of life" is a requiem for a dead brother as well as about all of us, inviting us all to think about our life,existence, destiny and Being."

"Actually I would describe the experience as viewing an art exhibit and listening to poetry. It really sweeps over and through you, and takes you on a trip of introspection. So many human emotions are touched - the need to be loved, appreciated and respected"

"Careless and young, free as the birds that fly.."

The beautiful song "Old Pine" by Ben Howard just puts me in a summer mood. Finally got some of that over here after a long time of fog and rain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiglLBLkzeg&playnext=1&list=PL40098DA28139BFAE

"Careless and young, free as the birds that fly.."

Secret treasures of the attick

I love to return to my grandparents' house. I have so many memories connected with it. When I was little I was quite scared of the attick. First, I was terrified of getting a splinter in my toe, which happened quite often at that time, caused by the old wooden floor.  And second, there was something mysterious about that place. So I wouldn't ever go up there alone.

Now, many years later, I dont worry about splinters anymore. The attick is still quite mysterious but only in a good way. I find it rather exciting. It is so cosy. I always recall the winter time ages ago when I got a new Narnia book for Christmas and read it under the lamp light next to the attick window and the old wardrobe which seemed quite Narnian as well and would secretely add the heating because my grandpa was very thrifty about it but it had been freezing outside.

I spent some time in the attick last week when we visited my grandparents and found some more little but precious things, which all have sweet and thrilling stories behind them.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd"

                                                                  Alexander Pope

Change your heart

Look around you

Change your heart

It will astound you

(Beck: Everybody's gotta learn sometime)

Green as Irish hearts

I am pretty much blown away by all the things that happened to me and my friends during  the last 12 days.  I can’t believe how fast it flew by though it always does so. It just always surprises me again :)

We went on a "roadtrip across Europe" (6000 kilometers, 6 days of travelling). The main reason of this journey was the long-awaited wedding of Fi and G which everyone had been so excited about. I didn’t know much about where we were going or staying. I just put my trust in Timo, our schedule.  It was getting better day by day. I cannot describe how great this trip became. Sure much more than I expected.

First, Northern Ireland is so beautiful, so green:) We got to see a lot of wonderful places like an old library on the edge of a grassy cliff. We got some sunny days, which is not something usual over there. I remember sitting in this local restaurant in a small port town, putting vinegar on my chips (which I learnt to enjoy very much), watching this old man facing the window through  which you could see the sea, reading the newspaper while sipping his tea. The man had blue socks, I don’t know why but this is what I memorized  :) I spotted some free newspaper over on the table so I grabbed it and started to read just for the special feeling of it. I’ve kept a piece and glued it into my travel journal.  

The wedding was just Filipious :) It is hard to express what it really means. So creative and thoughtful, she handmade all decorations and used her extraordinary personality to make it so special and memorable.

The most incredible thing about the country, the experiences, the trip however, was …the people. Everyone was just so nice to us. People I’d never met before spent hours cooking delicious meals for us( mmm pavlova), gave their time and money, listened and talked to us, shared jokes and played games, opened their homes as well as hearts. They all made us feel like home. 

 So when I say Northern Ireland I don’t think of green cliffs anymore, I think of the lovely people.

Thanks be to Him. He sends us beautiful things every day, which are like hints of what we will see when we all come home one day.
By then, he keeps using His children all over the world to take care of us.

If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking…experienced it once again