Sibelius, Olympics and ...

Helsinki is the birthplace of the composer Sibelius, This year we are celebrating his 150th anniversary. 

After looking at the stern mask of Sibelius, the monument gets better.

It's an interactive set of pipes making a free form tree. People walk among the pipes. You can tap on the pipes and make your own kind of music. BTW the mask is an after thought...the locals decided they did not know what the whimsical tree represented, so the designer added the mask to give them a clue. 

Each of the pipes is different with designs and cut-outs. As with the church, the locals did not like it at first, but now they do. On the other hand, I liked it the moment I saw it. There's something about Finnish design that is intriguing.

Not too far from the Sibelius Monument is the 1952 Summer Olympic Stadium. The Stadium was 

built in the 30's but World War II got in the way and the Finns had to wait until 52 to use it. The stadium holds 40,000 people and is used all the time. 

Running away from the stadium we went thru the "Design District" along the tree lined Esplanade ending up the at Giant Ferris Wheel.

No one has told us anything about the ferris wheel. We were not tempted to ride it, but I guess a city needs a ferris wheel....London has one as does Singapore...there's even a ferris wheel in Tagoshima, Japan...so why not Helsinki.

Rock Church

Several years ago we visited Helsinki. At that time we visted the Church in the Rock and we were deeply impressed. 

The church was designed by two Finnish architects who were brothers. They won a design contest to create the National Church. After winning the contest in 1962, the people thought the design was too avant garde and definitely cost too much money to build. In addition, the basis of the design was to blow up a granite outcropping in the city and the environmentalists were not happy about that. Helsinki has many rock outcroppings, and this one of a kind church, used a local feature. The destruction of the granite outcropping started about 5 years later and the church was completed in 1969. 

By that time, the locals became used to the idea. Nowadays, everyone seems to like the church. It draws people from all over the world. The church is amazing. Carved out of living rock, domed with a woven copper ceiling and glass windows, it has a very spiritual feeling.

The irregularly shaped windows play with light and shadow. The church changes mood and color depending on the time of day or the weather.

The acoustics are amazing too. 

Last time we were here, we heard the organ...this time we heard the piano play. All visitors are asked to remain quiet (and they are quiet) as we all listen to a musician play. 

The minimalist altar fits with the design.

It's an amazing church.

The Rock Church is a far cry from the more traditional State Lutheran Church.

Unusual Things in Helsinki

I am fascinated with things that are unusual or odd...to that end, here are a few from Helsinki. 

This is an American Motorhome circa 1980. 

It has a German license plate, so it's a visitor. What is unusual...it's a Jimmy or GMC Motorhome, (which was top of the line 30 years ago). This model was made for about 3 years for the American market. What is it doing in Finland? 

The American Embassy is alive and well in Helsinki. There are several McDonalds thruout the city. 

There are 2 official languages in Finland, so signs are written in both Finnish and Swedish. Do you know why Swedish is an official language? Because Sweden ruled the area that is now Finland for about 400 years. Finnish is not an Indo-European language and I've yet to figure out its phonics. 

Briefing

We had our initial briefing of what to expect on the trip. We board a coastal steamer at Kirkenes, Norway, which is very far north Norway. The boat will make 33 stops down the coast so we should see list of picturesque fjords. We will disembark the boat at Bergen and wend our way to Oslo. Along the way we will see some pretty stuff. It all sounds good! 

Our fellow pax sound like a good group too. There are 38 Grand Circle pax now, but when we get on the boat, we will be part of larger group of 400+ pax on the boat as it makes stops down the Norway coast delivering mail and supplies. 

Sky View

I love looking out the window of a plane. That's "supposed" to be the sign of a novice traveler, as us "experienced" travelers are too nonchalant to do anything as ridiculous as look out the window. Bosh! It's fun to see what's down there.

That's our approach to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. Lots of differently shaped fields getting ready for to be planted or just planted. 

As we were leaving Schipol heading to Finland, this is the view. A huge "freeway" that snakes thru the fields, whisking people to the "city" in the background.

This is the first clear view I had of Finland. For over an hour we were above the clouds, flying in a sea of bright blue with a fluffy white "floor." Then we dipped below the clouds as were we approaching Vantaa Airport outside of Helsinki. Again there were fields ready to be planted with forested areas in between. I tried to take more "overhead" pictures, but the cloud cover came down. However, by the time we landed, the sky was a bright blue.

PS. We are in the far north...it's 9 PM and the sun is still shining brightly. I wonder when it will set?

Flying With Room

That title does not seem to make sense. Since when do airplanes have room? They seem to have a lot of people and no room. BUT, if you fly BizFirst on Delta on an international flight, you actually have some room.

I was sitting in 2B looking at 1A...look at that nice self-contained seat which at the push of a button becomes a flat (albeit narrow) bed. There's even a back massager in the seat! With a multi-channel monitor you can access movies, TV, HBO, Showtime, music, games, kids programming, and more. I saw Cinderella (again) and The Second Best Marigold Hotel and several episodes of Big Bang Theory. I also looked at the map showing our progress, and I fell asleep to some cool music. (Remember we were on a 10+ hour flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam.) There's a nice area to place tablets or laptops in case you need to work or play. There was supposed to be wifi, but it was down today. There's even full a contingent of USB and "regular" plugs both European and American do you can charge your batteries. In addition to all of that, the food was pretty good too and the service was excellent. 

First Leg

We just finished the first leg of our 23 hour journey to Helsinki. We are in Salt Lake City's airport which is a fair sized operation. Before the Olympics were held here, it was a sleepy airport--gone are those days. 

I took this picture as we were making the approach to the runway. The Great Salt Lake is in the background looking like we are right next to the ocean. The city sprawls in every direction up to the mountains. As I looked down at the tiny houses I noticed something was missing. If we were landing in CA, most every house would have a blue puddle in the back--here, I saw a handful of small blue swimming pools. It's just too cold in the winter I guess. Private pools are not a big deal in the cold Rocky Mountain west.  

Next stop is Amsterdam.

Red, White and Blue...Patriotic Too

I just finished the 15th blanket of the year! It's red, white and dark navy blue. As you can see, I couldn't resist using my favorite pattern. i like the way the variegated colors weave their way thru the white row. 

I wanted to get it finished before we left on our vacation. I'm not bringing any crocheting with me just my cameras, lots of books and a sense of adventure. More later my friends. 

Travel Alert

Guess what? We're going away again. This time to see the fjords in Norway! Today is packing day

We are looking at cool weather with chances of thunderstorms in the far north! Watch this space for more information on the trip!

Mini-Horses

Today I visited a friend who has 2 miniature horses. They are cute...but I have no idea what one does with a minature horse. I asked...they will be trained to entertain at birthday parties. In the meantime, they are considered "yard art." 

The dark horse is 18 months old and the pinto is 12 months old. They are considered full sized and ready to be trained. They did like to be petted and did not mind a stranger. Given that, they might be good with children.

Tumbling Down

Sometime last night, 2 of our aspen trees fell down. One was a giant, the other was a "youngster" standing in the shadow of the giant. We never heard a thing...but this morning when we went for our walk, the front porch was obscured with green leaves.

          

The aspen, about 50 feet tall, fell between the house and another aspen, missing both. We were lucky to miss the tree attack.

Outtamyway

How about this for a grille statement? We saw this today on a pickup truck in Jackson. I've never seen an after-market grille with such a macabre look. Needless to say, I quickly snapped the picture and left before the owner came out of the store. I truly did not want to meet the critter.

Spring Time in the Rockies

In California it is early summer. The weather is hot. The green grasses have changed to gold. The wildflowers stopped blooming a month ago. Of course there's no water. 

Here in the Rockies it's a different story. It's been raining since we arrived nine days ago. The grasses are green, the wildflowers are thinking about blooming, and the robins are making nests.

We normally have 4 or 5 robin nests each spring, but they are usually high on the house. I never get a chance to see the pretty blue eggs. This time, Mama Robin made her nest in a low Alberta Spruce right off my back porch. I've yet to get a picture of her on the nest, but today I did get a picture of her upcoming family. It will be interesting to watch the chicks grow.

Hats Off

I looked at my new crochet pattern book and became overwhelmed at all the possibilities. So....I made a cap out of leftovers. I think this is called "avoidance behavior."

Number Fourteen

I just finished my 14th blanket for the year. It's a minty/white creation with stripes and diamonds. 

It's a new pattern for me...I'm trying to branch out a little this year. The next blanket might be very exotic as my Project Linus contact person sent me a crochet book titled Mosaic Magic--Afghans Made Easy by Lily M. Chin (published by Oxmoor House, 1999).

It has some very interesting patterns that I'm going to try. The patterns are pretty complex too, so I hope I have the skills. Watch this space to see what happens. 

The Tetons

Today we saw the Tetons for the first time this year. Since it was cloudy, we only the bottoms of the mountains...they are still pretty! When the weather clears up, we will see how much snow is on them.

For Californians

This is a public announcement for those of you who have forgotten what rain looks like. This is a puddle. A puddle develops when rain falls and collects in a low spot or depression on the ground. Puddles are made up of hundreds of drops of water. The water is coming from clouds in the sky. 

We are trying to send "move to CA" vibes to the rain clouds, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not working.

Fill 'er Up

Is this the next filling station? It can't be called a "gas station" as there's no gasoline. It's not really a pit stop, as there's no pit. There's definitely no service here, so it's not a service station. What is it called? Tesla calls their stations "super chargers." The Chevy Volt however does not have a network of free super chargers, so they rely on the open market. 

While I think electric cars are interesting, there's no short cut method to refill them with power. Tesla has many free filling stations on US highways where the company recommends you wait 30 minutes for 1/2 a "charge." So, does it take 60 minutes for a fill up? I see how the engine reduces emissions but does it really save energy? I think it trades one source for another, but of course that's never mentioned in the promos for this type of vehicle. 

BTW, each electric car has a different type of plug. The plug determines how quickly or slowly the power is transferred to the car. Therefore one needs to have a variety of adapters to fit the charging station. One day it will become easier. 

On the Road Again

If you should see this combination rolling down the road, honk!

One more trip. I wonder how many we have made with this truck and fiver?

Lake Oroville

Yesterday we drove past Lake Oroville which is a major reservoir for southern California only to find it  low. 

To give a comparison view...this picture was taken May 16, 2014 from a very similar location. It's a bit lower than last year. CA is definitely in need of rain. 

Update on Method

I have learned from one of my blog readers that Method products are available at Target Stores too. And based on my recommendation, she bought the All Purpose Cleaner. 

Baker's Dozen

Twelve little bunnies lined up in four rows is my latest blanket. As you know, I make a lot of 

Teddy Bear blankets, but this is my first bunny blanket. My friend Jeanne saw it today before it was finished and asked for it. I know it will be going to a good home. 

                        

Here's some detail...the pink bunnies face left and the varigated bunnies face right. I found the pattern  online, but please be advised-- do not use it. It's just wrong. 

If you know of someone who would like a bunny blanket, let me know. I'd love to make another one. 

51 and Still Rolling Down the Road!

You know how much I like old cars...this is a 1964 Beetle. She's been restored to more than she was in 1964. She has a 2 tone paint job, chrome eyelids, chrome wind deflectors on the windows and a funky bright green bug deflector on the hood. (You have to wonder if that even works?!)

If you look closely she's been carefully pinstriped too.  With white sidewall tires, mud flaps and a roof mounted luggage carrier, she's ready to go -- but remember she has only 36 horsepower. 

It's a Bear

I was visiting a friend in the mountains today when her "resident" black bear strolled onto her property. 

This bear knew exactly what to do. He walked past the little green table and sat down on the patio where the COB was, and he proceeded to his fill.

He then scratched his face

And sauntered away. 

I only wish my pictures were better but I had to take them thru a window. Nevertheless, it's always interesting to see a bear. 

Two Household Cleaners of Note

I don't believe I've recommended a product before, but I believe in these 2 cleaners so much, I'm taking a risk and making a recommendation. The two cleaners are made by The Method Company and they are Method All-Purpose Natural Surface Cleaner and Method Power Foam Dish Soap

Method All-Purpose Cleaner was recommended by one of our favorite cooking shows: America's Test Kitchen. They tested many household cleaners and determined that Method was the best. Given that recommendation, we tried to find the product and couldn't. No local stores carried the product and it was not available online. After a year of searching for Method, we finally found it in our little store in WY. Guess what? It was wonderful. We went back to the store and  bought several bottles and we were good to go. 

I have used the All-Purpose cleaner for over a year now, and I'm very impressed with it. It cleans and degreases surfaces better than any cleaner I've tried in the past. It's non-toxic, green, biodegradeable, and effective! It smells good too...it's hard to ask for more.

The other day I went to our local Ace Hardware store, and found several products made by the Method company. Since the All-Purpose Cleaner is so good, I decided to give the Power Foam Dish Soap a try. It claims to be a degreaser...and it is. In fact it's better than Dawn, which was my previous degreasing dish detergent. Even better, I spray it on my glass-topped range, let it soak a for a few seconds, then after a light scrubbing, the grease and spots disappear! I'm a happy camper. 

I'm very pleased that Ace Hardware stores carry a pretty complete line of Method products. In addition, the products are now available from a company website at http://methodhome.com and Amazon.

If you are looking for a good cleaner, that is non-toxic, plant-based, biodegradeable and WORKS, try Method. I hope you like these product as much as I do.

An Even Dozen

I just completed the twelfth blanket of the year. 

As you can see, it's not my typical zigzag pattern, but striped. To soften the design some, I crocheted a scalloped edging around the blanket. While stripes are nice, they are a bit stark. The next blanket with have bunnies on it...it will be done soon. Keep watching this space.

Given my schedule and away time for travel, it's taking about 10 days (on the average) to make a blanket. 

Happy Mother"s Day

Mother love comes in many varieties and these elephants say it as well as any one else. My friend Dottie, in Guam, made this lovely mommy and baby for me and it arrived the day before Mother's Day. The timing is perfect. Thank you Dottie. I love these little creatures and the message they embody. Stick with your mom...she loves you forever and ever!

Numero Once aka Number Eleven

I just finished a "stash-buster" blanket. For those who are new to crocheting or knitting, a stash-buster blanket uses left-over yarn. For this blanket I tried to follow the color wheel, so each color is followed by a color that should follow it on the color whieel. It was fun to figure out which color from my stash would be next. 

i don't know if this blanket is appropriate for a girl or a boy...but it has pink in it, and that generally makes it off-limits for boys. Stash-buster blankets are one of a kind creations. I doubt I will ever have this mix of remnants again.

Two Acronyms

At the meeting I learned 2 new words...YOLO and FAIL. YOLO has been around for awhile but it was off my radar screen. FAIL is just a little ditty to bring about encouragement.

What do they mean? YOLO stands for You Only Live Once..therefore do all that you can while you can. Come to find out I'm a firm believer in YOLO. Ask me about my travel schedule and its YOLO with adventure. We just booked a Swiss Train vacation that's sounds pretty exciting.

FAIL can stand for "first attempt in learning" and can be used to encourage kids to keep on trying. Edison failed over 100 times before he made a lightbulb that worked. Many other inventors have failed scores of time before reaching success. So following that logic, kids can fail several times in their attempts to learn a concept or solve a problem, but as long as they pick themselves up and start again, it's a learning experience telling them what does not work...and they should start trying again! 

Hello from San Francisco

I'm spending the weekend in San Francisco at a Delta Kappa Gamma conference. It's a sunny day! (Not all that common on SF.) There are hundreds of teachers here enjoying the camaraderie of friends and colleagues, while going to sessions or enjoying the City. 

As for me...My first agenda item this morning is at 11:30, so it's off to the hot tub for some therapy, as I threw out my back this past week.