Almost through with Tammikuu (January)

Here we are with one week left in January, and yesterday was the first blustery snowfall that gave us much accumulation, and now it's mostly gone from some rain as the temperature rose just afterward. It's been a most unusual winter in Helsinki. And a busy beginning to the year. I feel fortunate to have started this ESL teaching here (though it has kept me from blogging as much - I'll do my best). It is going well. I'm less stressed about everything since I know my way around better now, and I know the students a bit better. I think I'm helping them so there's that satisfaction too. Gerald had to go to Lisbon this week - and we can feel a little sorry for him because he was so busy with meetings he didn't get to sightsee at all, so he doesn't feel he even knows the town despite spending 3.5 days there. He did call me from the hotel patio a few times when he was absorbing the 64F degree sunshine on breaks.

We got this rug last weekend and it really pulled the living room together - it's a Persian Tabriz Mahi that is based of the design of a fish, appropriate with the canal right outside.
The craftsmanship is amazing. The saleswoman called it 'food for the eyes', translating a Finnish saying, and it is that. She also said not to get it cleaned, and the best thing to do for cleaning is to put it upside down in a fresh snowfall, then shake it off. We have years before that's necessary though.

Another local custom I find interesting is that Finns believe in putting their babies outside for naps every day, even in winter, well swaddled of course. If it's well below freezing they wouldn't, but otherwise the kids are sleeping on patios and balconies all over town. I thought this was so unusual until I told my mother about it and she said she put us all on the porch to sleep too, all bundled up, in Michigan winters. I was happily surprised to learn that, since it does seem to be a very healthful habit. I couldn't have managed it with Claire on our NYC 5th floor fire escape - that would have been cruel, but we did walk out and about in the cold and she slept well in her snuggli.

I should also share the latest sunset news: we had sunset at 4:12 this evening and we will gain 4.41 minutes of day tomorrow, so we've already gained an hour since the solstice. It's a very noticeable change, particularly on clear days.