Half Empty or Half Full / Puoliksi Tyhjä vai Puoliksi Täysi

Kumputunturi, Lapland

It starts to grow between the trees

Fist you see only climbses

Then the forest opens up

And there stands the mountain

In front of you

And above you

There is nothing around it to challenge it's height

It stands there alone

581 meters from the sea level

Reaching the clouds

If there is a treeline at it's sides

It's so far down

It vanishes to the forest itself

Before the mountain even starts to rise from the ground

North facing side is a little bit easier

Little bit more approacable

And from there goes a little path all the way up

The view from the top is amazing

Terrain is really rough

Just rocks and some more rocks

And so for

Nothing to block the view

Nothing to block the wind

That hits you from every direction

In the middle of this emptiness

On the highest point stands a little cottage

In the past

The cottage has belong to the fireguard

Whom has been sitting here

Guarding and watching

Ready to spot the wildfires

Hard to imagine his life

Living alone

On top of the mountain

Just himself, wind and stars to keep him company

We imagine this

Sitting in the fireguards lookout hut

Waiting for coffee to boil

Coloring a life to the thoughts

Of this place in winter time

How it would be here under the starry sky

Northern lights dancing above us

How it would be if you would get stuck in a snow storm

How you would sit in the cottage

Wrapped in blankets

Sipping hot chocolate in candle light

And listen how the wind roars around you

We wonder how it is

That even so the scenery is rough and empty

It is still so full of life and wonders

Only limitations are in your own imagination

And how wonderful it feels

Here in the middle of the beautiful emptiness

To share your thoughts

The moment

And a cup of coffee

With an other living soul

On a Lo Fotr / Ilveksen Käpälällä

Lofoten, Norway

Everybody is talking about it

At least everybody somehow related to outdoor life

So when they asked me

Do you wanna hop on a car and go for an adventure

I said YES

And this is how

I ended up exploring these famous islands

If you ask me

What comes to my mind when you say 'Norway'

The answer would be

Mountains

Sea

Vikings

Not necessarily in that order

I was amazed the first time I visited Norway few years ago

How come there was this beautiful land

With magnified mountains and fjords

Just next to my country and I have never visited there

Well, I partly blame my parents

Whom always on holidays took us to the southern Europe

But it's ok

They are not winter people

Although both of them have been born in middle of the winter

But anyway

Finnish Lapland was the most north they felt they needed to go

And ofcourse it's way more cheaper to drive to Spain with four kids

Than travel to Norway with them

Norway?

No-way!

 Now

On my third trip to this land full of wonders

I'm still amazed

I can't get rid of the question in my mind

Why do people wan't to travel all the way to New Zealand

When you have all the same possibilities here in Northern Europe

But of course it's a matter of preferences

2 hours in a plane

Or 22 hours in a plane
(Or in my case 12 hours in a car)

I have always loved water

It's one of the most multiple elements in this world

It can be salt or fresh

Calm or rapid

Strong and unstoppable

Or light mist

As a clouds that grab the mountain peaks

When frozen

It covers everything in it's protecting white blanket

It's the power of life

Without it 

There wouldn't be any

And finally
The sea and the mountain shore villages
Brings us to the vikings
That horribly violent fighter folk
With their mystical life
Between the giants and the goods

Despite all the violense

I admire them

They found a way to habit the rough mountain shores

They cultivated the land where they could

And took what was them by the rights of the strongest one

They respect their free women

And as men also women lead them to victorious battles

Can't but admire them

Now days the viking life styles lives mainly in museums

And among people whom keep up memory of their society

It is important to understand where we come from

Acknowledge the wisdom that has been there for thousands of years before us

And I think Norwegians whom have been successfully inhabited this rough land

Have that wisdom in their blood

It's strong in their roots

Knowing all this

Standing on a shore of the great sea

Surrounded by mountains

That has been here way before me

And will be here long after me

I can feel this deep peace inside me

Rising up from my roots on this earth

Roots stronger and older than my words to describe them

It's a deep feeling of belonging

And I know it deep in my soul and heart

I need to come here again

Pssst!

Here you can find the stories from my first adventure to Norway

Nordkapp - There and Back Again part1

Nordkapp - There and Back Again part2

The Northern Fire

Playing with fire

Wanting to go higher

Dance till you starve

Under the stars

Above the northern fire

Higher and higher

Feeling lighter

Mightier

The strongest warrior

New day rises

Burning out the fires

Feet on the ground

Can you light another one

For the sun

Kalalla / Just Fishing

Kalastamme

Tölkkejä ja vesiheinää

Kalastuksenvalvoja ei nää

Hyttysten ininää

Meidät elävältä syödään

Ja Tuuli pidättää hengitystään

Kun tarinaa kerrotaan

Tarttui kaksipäinen hauki katiskaan

Ehkä ihan hyvä

Ettei sitä kalaa täältä tullutkaan

Rakastamisesta / About Love

I love my mother

With all the child's heart

I love my father

With all the daughter's heart

I love my brothers and sisters

With all the power

Of the everlasting bond
That connect's us together

I love my friends

With all that has brought us together

With all the love that keeps us together

I love the nature and the universe

As I'm part of it and it's part of me

Inextricably

I love human beings

My fellow travelers in this universe

This reality

I love the human body

As can only an other human being love it

All this love one can learn during a life

And all this I have learned on my journey

This love is now written in to me

And this love I'm sharing to the world

It is respecting love

Thankfulness
For capability to love

For unconditional love

Undemanding love

Some day I will love my children

With all the mother's love

So..
How do you love your partner

With a parent's love

Child's love

Or a friend's love
Or

With equal love

From all the aspects of love I know

Only a friend's love

And love for an other human being

Are equal

Could we...

Would it be possible

To learn to love your partner

By loving him/her first as a friend

As a human being

Find the respect for an other being

For a friend

Before rushing in
To a wrong kinda love

Could it be possible
Would it be true
Love

Tarinoita ikiyöstä

Osa 17

Tasaisen tumman valkoista

Sinisen harmaata

Silmän kantamattomiin

Lumilakeuden rikkoi siellä täällä kitukasvuisena sinnittelevät tummemmat varjot

Tyttö jatkoi taivaltaan

Välillä lumen pinta lähes kantoi

Mutta usein miten
Se upotti koko jalan mitalta

Jokaisella humahduksella
Tyttö pelkäsi hyisien sormien kiertyvän nilkkansa ympärille

Tähän saakka ne olivat pysyneet poissa

Hän oli onnistunut välttämään mustat suon silmät

Vaanivat lumipeitteen alla

Vaikka Tyttö koitti astua kuinka varoen

Piti rikkoutuva lumenpinta korvia huumaavaa meteliä hiljaisessa ikiyössä

Sihinä alkoi ensin vaimeana

Kuin pieni vesipisara

Tai nokare lunta kuumalla kivellä

Samalla hetkellä

Sihinän yhä voimistuessa

Alkoi lumen pinta hohtaa vihreää hohdettaan

Tyttö tiesi liiankin hyvin mitä oli tulossa

Hän pysäytti rohisevat askeleensa

Jäi seisomaan hiiren hiljaa paikoilleen

Varovasti kulmiensa alta vilkaisi taivaalle

Näki tuttujen vihreiden aaltojen syöksyvän mustan taivaan halki

Sähähtelevän halki ikiyön

Pimeyden ruhtinatar oli liikkeellä taas

Ei hätää ollut

Ei niin kauan kuin olisi aloillaan

Huomiota herättämättä

Liian kauan taivaan tulileikkiä tuijottamatta

Näiden voimien kanssa ei ollut leikkiminen

Sen Tyttö oli oppinut vuosia sitten

Kun kuunlapset olivat pelastaneet hänet

Käärineet lämpimiin turkiksiin
Löydyttyään alastomana hangesta

Tyttö oli kuitenkin onnitunut
Vapauttanut yön ruhtinattaren kokoelmaansa vangitsemat olennot

Tyttö värähti muistolle

Hänestäkin olisi voinut tulla yksi niistä

Lasikopeissa näytteillä olevista

Vain yksi uusi tulokas
Loputtomassa kokoelmassa

Yksikään elävä olento ei ollut turvassa

Taivaalla tuli leikki alkoi hiipua

Yönvaltiaan silmä alkoi kääntyä toisaalle

Jännitys Tytön lihaksissa alkoi laantua
Hän uskalsi hengittää syvään

Silloin se tuli

Kova paukahdus

Kiiri yli hyisen lakeuden

Kaikui takaisin jäisistä ikihongista

Tytön niskakarvat nousivat pystyyn

Uusi paukahdus

Samassa taivaan tulet sähähtivät uuteen roihuun

Koko taivas tulessa

Paukahdukset jatkuivat
Rytmikäämpinä
Äänekkäämpinä

Kuka uskalsi rummuttaa taivaan tulille!

Kuka uskalsi uhmata pimeyden valtiatarta!

Kylmyys alkoi hiipiä Tytön jännittyneisiin lihaksiin

Hyinen kosteus tiivistyä vaatteilleen

Pitäisi päästä liikkeelle

Pian

Muutoin pakkas rouva kuorruttaisi hänet sokeriseen huurteeseen

Tekisi hänestä uuden jäisen veistoksen lumi puutarhaansa

Tyttö liikutteli kylmän kangistamia jäseniään

Otti muutaman varovaisen askeleen

Edelleen tietoisena lumikuoren rasahtelusta jalkojensa alla

Nyt kuitenkin hukkui rumpujen kuminaan

Valtiattaren huomio oli kääntynyt ääntä kohden

Tyttö hiipi varoen jäisen suon lakaudelta

Katosi äänettömästi öisen jäämetsän varjojen suojiin

Todellisuusankkuri

Valkoinen ruokapöytä

Sen äärellä käydyt keskustelut

Olisimme voineet istua missä tahansa muualla

Olohuoneen pehmeällä sohvalla

Siinä missä me joskus sylikkäin käpertyneenä

Paksun norjalaisen viltin alla katselimme elokuvia

Tai hiljaisuuden huoneen hämyssä

Mutta jostakin selittämättömästä syystä

Juuri tuosta paikasta

Tilavan asunnon pienestä keittiöstä

Ja sinne sisustetusta ruokapöydästä

Muodostui meidän oma paikkamme

Juuri tuossa paikassa

Olen aina tuntenut turvallisen tuttuuden tunteen

Aivan niin kuin sillä ankealla hakkuu alueella

Jonne meillä oli tapana mennä picnikille

Sille joka hetken istuskelun jälkeen

Ei näyttänyt enään yhtään niin ankealta

Vaan kuhisi elämää ja ihmeellisyyksiä

Samaisen tunteen vallassa

Istuimme useat kerrat tuon pienen keittiön suojissa

Punaviiniä nautiskellen

Ja radiosta hittejä kuunnellen

Niitä hittejä

Joiden parasta ennen päiväys

Oli mennyt jo aikaa sitten

Nuo hetket kanssasi

Ankkuroivat minut tähän todellisuuteen

Katsellessani sinua

Ja siemaillessani keskihintaista luomu punaviiniä

Aina luomua, aina punaista

Mutta budjettiimme sopivaa

Avatessamme elämämme syvimpiä saloja toisillemme

Tunsin aina käsittämättömän voimakkaan perillä olemisen tunteen

Tunsin olevani kotona

Kotona keittiösi tuoksussa

Kotona hymyssäsi ja eleissäsi

Naurussasi

Nuo hetket keittiössäsi

Tulen aina muistamaan

Yhtinä elämäni onnellisimmista

Toisinaan saatan miettiä sattumaa

Mutta sattuma tuntuisi liian suurelta

Muistan sen päivän ikuisesti

Vain ohikiitävän hetken kirpputori pöydän luona

Hetken, joka tuli muuttamaan elämämme

Vaikka emmehän me vielä silloin sitä tienneet

Muistan kuinka aistin sinut

Välittömän ja kiehtovan energiasi

Mieleni teki jäädä luoksesi

Jäädä hypistelemään rannekorua pöydällä

Ihan mitä vain

Jotta voisin viipyä vaikutuspiirissäsi vielä hetken

Vain pienen hetken

Muistatko kuinka olit vähällä sanoa äidillesi

Että sinun on nyt mentävä

Kuinka ajattelit juosta perääni

Jotta saisit edes pienen hetken aistia minua

Vielä hetken tuntea minut

Ei kukaan olisi voinut aavistaa

Minkä alku tahdit tuona päivänä lyötiin

Eikä se voinut olla sattumaa

Että tapasimme niin pian uudestaan

Siitä lähtien

Olemme kulkeneet yhdessä tätä polkua

Käsikädessä

Kasvaneet yhdeksi

Yhdeksi ja samaksi

Ja kuitenkin kahdeksi eriksi

En haluaisi kuvitella maailmaa

Ilman sinua, ilman meitä

Rakastan sinua

Jeti's Birthday Cake!

Jeti had a birthday

Though Jeti didn't know it

I think yetis don't celebrate

At least not this kind of occasions

So it was easy to surprise him

Which was good

Because I like planing surprises

But I'm really bad at keeping my mouth shut

When I'm excited about something

 I tie Jeti's eyes

And lead him to the magical summer island

There I served him this awesome cake

I had designed and baked for him

He said it was the best cake he had tasted so far

Well,

I'm glad you like it!

Vadelma-Pätkis Juustokakku

(gluteiiniton)

Pohja:

200 g gluteiinittomia suklaa keksejä

75 g kookosrasvaa

Täyte:

4 liivatelehteä

300 - 400 g maustamatonta tuorejuustoa

1 - 1 1/2 dl ruokosokeria

3 tl vaniljasokeria

2 rkl sitruunan mehua

2 - 3 dl kuohukermaa (laktoositon)

1 pss Pätkiksiä

2 dl vadelmia

1/2 tl neilikkaa

1 rkl tummaa kaakaojauhetta

Koristelu:

tummaa kaakaojauhetta

1 liivatelehti

vadelmia

tilkka vettä

Pätkiksiä

Pohja:

Sulata kookosrasva ja murenna keksit.

Vuoraa irtopohjavuoka pohjalta leivinpaperilla.

Sekoita ja painele massa tasaisesti irtopohjavuuan pohjalle.

(Tai muropaketista, lautasesta ja ilmastointiteipistä itse rakennettun vuuan,

kuten minä tein paremman puutteessa)

Nosta jääkaappiin kovettumaan.

Täyte:

Liota 4 liivatelehteä kylmässä vedessä (n. 5min).

Sulata Pätkikset vesihauteessa (säästä pari koristeluun).

Muussaa vadelmat haarukalla (säästä muutamia koristeluun).

Sekoita sokerit, sula Pätkis-massa, muussatut vadelmat,

kaakaojauhe ja neilikka tuorejuustoon.

Vatkaa kerma vaahdoksi (ei liian kovaksi).

Kuumenna sitruunan mehu ja sekoita kuivaksi puristellut liivatteet joukkoon.

Lisää liivate tuorejuuston sekaan koko ajan sekoittaen.

Sekoita varovasti nostellen kermavaahto tuorejuustoon.

Kaada täyte vuokaan, tasoita pinta ja laita jääkaappiin hyytymään tunneiksi /yön yli.

Koristelu:

Irrota varovasti terävän veitsen avulla vuuan reunat.

Aseta kuvio-muotti kakun päälle.

(Näitä saa valmiina kaupastakin, mutta minä askartelin itse).

Sirottele siivilän avulla tummaa kaakaojauhetta kakun päälle.

Poista kuvio-muotti.

Leikkaa Pätkis-paloja pienemmäksi.

Pistä liivatelehti likoamaan kylmään veteen.

Muussa muutama vadelma ja kuumenna tilkassa vettä.

Lisää liivatelehti kattilaan.

Kaada liivatetta kauniiksi puroiksi kakun päälle ja asettele tuoreita vadelmia

ja Pätkiksen paloja liivateelle, joka kiinnittää ne kakkuun.

Bon Appétit!

Three Stages of the Camino / Caminon kolme tasoa

Camino Santiago de Compostela

 They say there is three stages on your camino

And one by one you will travel through them all

When or where, no one can tell you

But you will know, when you are there

This is a story of my personal experience
Of those three stages on my camino

First stage – The physical stage

The journey beguines
You will get to know your body

You are finding new things about your body

You will learn your physical limits

You will do things, you didn’t know you are capable of

For me this meant blisters, shin splints, broken knees

And leg pain which kept me awake during the nights

Eventually
I learned to take it easy
But in the hard way

I didn’t want to stop

I wanted to get forward

I could almost see the goal glowing in the horizon

Although there were still over 800 km left and we had just started

I didn’t have time to stop for every wonder I saw on the way

I don’t have time, I’m walking here!

Then God made me stop

I broke my knee in the deep downhill

I didn’t fall

I just didn’t listen to my body

And in the end of the day
I couldn’t step on my foot anymore

The next day I could walk again

Real slowly

We started walking before sunrise
To win some time
But during the morning we saw how people walked past us

Countless bag packs vanishing somewhere ahead of us

Instead of thinking how slowly I was going forward
I started to look what was around me

I stopped for weird plants

I touched and smelled them

There was so much beautiful and amazing things all around
I started to relax

I enjoyed the day a lot

The next morning I was able to walk normally again

But something inside of me had changed
I enjoyed briskly walking 

I stopped more often for wonders

I saw more
I felt more

I wasn't willing to slow down by myself
So God made me slow down

I learned my lesson
And He let me heal

I started to respect the deep downhill’s
And came down real carefully
Knowing my own physical limits
But never giving up
Never losing my faith
Knowing
He will always walk beside me

Second stage – The mental stage

Anyone can recognize the first stage
It beguines on the first day of their camino

But how do you know you have reached the second stage?

We were wondering this with the other pilgrims
And I think I can speak for all of us, when I say

Trust me, you will definitely know when things starts to go mental

For me it started when I cried first time on the camino

Or at least this was the moment I realized it
I had reached the second stage of my camino

There started to be a lot of feelings involved

A lot of conflicts and distress
A lot of mixed and negative energy

For me this was real uneasy stage of my camino

Many times I found myself wondering
When would this end?

My own distressed feelings were bothering me
And I knew
For reaching the spiritual stage

I would have to be above all of this
Of this shit I was throwing around in my head

But how the hell it would be possible?

So I gave up
I accept my feelings
Didn't try to make them disappear

Maybe on my camino there would be only two stages

Third stage – The spiritual stage

We had almost reached the end of the physical camino

Few days and we could say we did it

In these days I realized it

It felt like someone would had turned the lights on

I could see everything more clearly

I could feel the change in my body

I found myself feeling happiness and joy

The distress was still in me

But it didn’t control me anymore

I was feeling happy despite the negative feelings inside me

No more was I looking the world through my distress

It couldn’t control my reactions and words anymore
It didn't have the power

I could observe my reactions inside me

I could choose how I wanted to act

I could choose how I wanted to express myself

I felt free, truly free

Free from myself

In a way

The camino felt longer than just 35 days

It felt like a life time

I knew this would be a life changing experience
God wouldn't lead me on this camino for nothing
But still

I learned more than I was expecting
More about myself, other people and world itself
About life itself

And now
Sitting at home and writing this
I have a feeling
That the learning will continue
A long time after this journey has ended

When I have settled down
Back to my normal life

But for me the normal life won’t be the same anymore

For us who have walked the camino

Our life will be so much more than it used to be

More deeper and more colorful
We had spent a life time away

From this 'normal' world

The people who can truly know the meaning of this

Who have been on the same kind of journey

Shared the camino with you

They can truly understand your experience

After all it feels like
You have already known each other
For a life time

Con mucho cariño a

Bear Family

On the way home

The time had come

Snow was melting

Sun was big and warm

The darkness gave way to the light

It was time to go back

To The South

I packed my few belongings

And lifted my little back bag on my shoulders

I was ready

I gave a last longing look

To the three mountains

I would miss them

A small red bubble

Was standing on my cabin's front door

What the heck?

Next to the bubble was standing Jeti

He glanced me shyly

"I want to come with you."

I smiled

Leaving Jeti here

Would had been the hardest thing to do

As it turned out

The red bubble was some kind of a vehicle

We stuffed our self in

And started rolling south

On the way

We could see

The summer coming

Faster and faster

Like a one whole season

Just winding past us

The moment was ours

Our own little road trip

We enjoyed the way

and stopped for any wonder

Like for The Dancing Swan

Though Jeti said

That it probably just had fleas

But I wanted to believe

It was dancing for The Lady Spring

"There is a canyon on the left."

"Where?!"

"I dunno. The sign just said 'a canyon on the left'."

It was called

The WallMountain's Canyon

And  in the evening gloom
It was pretty amazing

Loving high places
I was thrilled
On the edge of the canyon
Jeti was uneasy
He had sometimes started to fear for me

At the bottom of the canyon
Was really dark
You could feel the big stone walls above you
The air was heavy and moist
I wanted back up
Where I could feel light again

Jeti liked it here
He found some comfort
From the darkness and the big walls around him
We felt like the fairy and the troll
From the children song

Arrival to The South
Didn't feel like coming home
I wondered
If I had never really felt
Like home here

'Home is were your heart is'
They say
And from many crossroads
I have been in my life
Many beautiful souls
Still carries a peaces of my heart
With them
I always feel like home

I glanced at Jeti
And I knew
In his white soft fur
I would make my home now