Friday Bliss #169 - Birthplace of Jean Sibelius

On Wednesday we celebrated the birthday of our national composer Jean Sibelius. He was born on 8th of December 1865 in Hämeenlinna and lived in this elegant town house the first three years of his life. Sibelius' father was city doctor of Hämeenlinna, but he died of typhoid when Janne was less than three years old. The father left great debts, and as a result the mother Maria Charlotta had to sell the house and move with Linda and Janne to her widowed mother elsewhere in Hämeenlinna while she was still pregnant of the youngest son Christian. 

Sibelius' birthplace is a charming little museum in Hämeenlinna, which I visited in the autumn. The rooms are decorated in the style of the 1860s - 1880s, and the museum exhibition illuminates little Janne's childhood. Chamber concerts are held regularly in the museum hall. The atmosphere of the museum was calm and Sibelius' music was playing in the background - a charming visit!

When young he was a very handsome man. There were many photos to be seen.

I visited also The Sibelius Museum in Turku, that showed his family tree with Aino Järnefelt.

Beautiful Aino came from a very well known cultural family of the Järnefelts.

Her brothers were painter Eero, composer Armas, writer Arvid and critic Kasper.

Here you can read more about Sibelius and his multiple travels abroad.

Sibelius loved Christmas and the advent season eased his depressions. At the Sibelius Museum in Turku, I saw this wall-sized enlargement of a crane with a citation from Sibelius' diary from September 1916. I think it aptly breathes the composer's humility before nature and the depression he experienced when autumn arrived. 

On all these days I have seen cranes;

full of music moving to the south.

Have been the willing pupil once again.

Their calls are my life thread.

Get increasingly close to heaven.

My heart full of melancholy and nature worship.

- Sibelius' diary the 10th of September 1916

There exist six Christmas carols composed by Jean Sibelius. They are not jolly and bright, more like slow psalms, but they are very popular in Finland and belong to every Christmas. I seek not Power or Glory, 1909 (lyrics Zacharias Topelius) starts like this and HERE you can listen to it interpreted by the acappella group Rajaton.

I seek not power or glory

Nor do I long for gold

I ask but for the light of heaven

And for peace on earth

I seek not power or glory

Nor do I long for gold

I ask but for the light of heaven

And for peace on earth

 

It brings us Christmas joy

And lifts our spirits towards God

Not power nor even gold

Just peace on earth

https://lyricstranslate.com

I seek not power or glory

Nor do I long for gold

I ask but for the light of heaven

And for peace on earth

 

It brings us Christmas joy

And lifts our spirits towards God

Not power nor even gold

Just peace on earth

https://lyricstranslate.com

I seek not power or glory

Nor do I long for gold

I ask but for the light of heaven

And for peace on earth

 

It brings us Christmas joy

And lifts our spirits towards God

Not power nor even gold

Just peace on earth

https://lyricstranslate.com

Sibelius' daughter Margareta Jalas has said that the carol I Seek not Power or Glory had a special place in Ainola's Christmas celebration. While Christmas songs were usually accompanied on the piano by Sibelius himself, this song was always accompanied by the mother of the family, Aino Sibelius. Its words are so easy to agree with in this global situation. I am especially fond of the carol Over Hill and Dale - it has an unusually beautiful melody. HERE you can listen to it interpreted by the opera singer Jorma Hynninen.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

Have a blessed Advent Season!

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Autumn Leaves

"The falling leaves drift by my window

The falling leaves of red and gold

I see your lips the summer kisses

The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long

And soon I'll hear old winter's song

But I miss you most of all my darling

When autumn leaves start to fall"

I see this through my bedroom window.

Behind the green-white Cornus there is one of the maples planted by me.

That one is huge and produces masses of leaves to rake.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #gartenglück #image-in-ing 

#makrotex / colorful #my corner of the world #t in die neue woche #värikollaasit

Surprise - No Wind, no Rain!

These first days of July have felt like the summer has been cancelled in Finland. Every day rain & stormy winds. The summer is so important to us, having long cold winters. The joy of gardening was swept by this unbelievable July weather. This morning no wind, no rain - I could not believe my eyes.  Of course it was still very wet after the night rain. Yesterday my arch of parthenocissus fell down, but luckily my husband got it standing again. But the toughest plants still bloom.

The joy of this sunny morning won’t last for long. Tomorrow’s forecast looks like this.
The lyrics of this song comfort me!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 

#image-in-ing #makrotex  #t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #värikollaasit #willy-nilly

Midweek Mix

It is a hot & sunny week and the garden blooms wildly. Every day new flowers open, 
others wither. During the day it is too hot to do anything in the garden, then it is my reading time.

I am reading travel books to compensate travel ban. First I visited Italy, then I fly to Spain!

Virtual travel costs nothing and is still wiser now.

Travel restrictions have already been cancelled to the Baltic countries, Denmark, Iceland & Norway.

No decision is yet been made, but  probably these countries are on the list from 13 July on:

Germany (??), Italy, Austria, Greece, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary 
and Liechtenstein, as well as non-Schengen Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland .

Travel restrictions would continue between Finland and the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, 
Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Poland, France, Sweden and the Czech Republic, 

with the exception of cruise travel.

The book My Italy presents 16 Finns who have moved to Italy or travel there quite often.

Very enjoyable and aroused travel fever. I want to link this very catching Italian song:

Azzurro - Adriano Celentano

Wishing you a happy June week!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag  #foto-tunes #gartenglück  #image-in-ing #makrotex   
#t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #värikollaasit #willy-nilly  #watw

The Weekend Roundup Y

 Starts with Y:
Hopefully this is Yucca and not Agave!

Tom’s choice Yellow & my favourite:
Iris pseudacorus is Yellow

 Starts with Y:

Yesterday we celebrated Midsummer Eve, a big celebration in Finland.

People have sauna at their summer cottages, eat & drink, and many have
hangover today. I don’t because I don’t drink :)

Starts with Y:

Our family dinner on Midsummer Eve was all very Yummy!

My son-in-law is chef and he made all the food - I was grateful & felt lazy! 

We had new potatoes with herring & pickled raw salmon, filled mushrooms, 

pork casserole and grandmom’s cucumbers. As dessert rhubarb pie with icecream 

and coffee. I always forget to photograph the table when it still is pretty 

- this is what was left! 

Their two Tibetan terriers Arthur & Paul found a shadow under the table.

If you are interested look here how we Finns love to eat new potatoes & herring:

For many Finns, nothing is better than a very simple, yet tasty dish of boiled new potatoes 

eaten with pickled herring, a pat of butter and a sprig of fresh dill. 

A lot of care should be put in finding and buying fresh new potatoes of the highest quality.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 

#image-in-ing #makrotex  #t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #värikollaasit #willy-nilly

Haaga Rhododendron Park - Rhodos

Haaga Rhododendron Park is a wonderful place to visit in early June. 
Last Sunday was the time for this year’s visit. HERE all my related posts. 

Information: The oldest rhododendrons were planted in 1975. 
The University of Helsinki and the City of Helsinki originally planted 3000 
rhododendron hybrids for research purposes. 
The aim of the plant breeding programme was to create varieties that were suitable for 
the Finnish climate and diverse in terms of their growth and the colours of their flowers. 
Following long-term observation, eight rhododendron varieties were selected 
for commercial production: 

Haaga (pink), Helsinki University (pink), St. Michel (pale pink to white), 

P.M.A. Tigerstedt (white), Axel Tigerstedt (white), Pekka (pale pink), 

Eino (bright pink) & Mauritz (bright red). 

Sweet Villa visiting the park, too!

My son-in-law Timo Rainio & Indiana - She leaves today,

They participated in the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest preliminary in 1994.

❤︎❤︎❤︎
#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 

#image-in-ing #makrotex  #t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #värikollaasit #willy-nilly

You are the Sunshine of my Life

Spring is mating time. These love birds have found one another ❤︎

Jutta’s original underneath.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 

#image-in-ing #makrotex  #t in die neue woche #the weekend roundup #värikollaasit #willy-nilly

My Blue & White Finland ❤︎

Finland is a good and beautiful northern country. We are few and we have space. 

The nature and air are clean; society works well and our social security is good. 

My identity is Finnish. I wouldn’t change that - but I would gladly change one thing: 

It would be so nice if the summer was longer and the winter shorter! 
But you can’t have it all.

There is little to photograph in the garden. There have been a few snowshowers this week 

that have covered small spring flowers. That's why I made you a tiny blue and white, 

Finnish still life. The result was no good, for I don’t have any real macro lens and this year 
my snowdrops are petit, petit. Here some photos from April 2016.

During this Covid-19 pandemic I've been thinking about, how much better off we are 

compared to our ancestors during the Spanish flu in 1918. We have access to the internet 

and social media, we don’t have to live in the dark. Of course, this has its distressing side: 

we see all the terrific news.

I have listened as audiobook A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence by Finnish Frank Martela (b. 1981) PhD, Visiting scholar at University of Rochester, NY - See his blog!

"There is much that is beyond our control in this situation, and occasionally it can feel overwhelming and scary. To remain sane and functional, it is crucial to focus on those areas of life that are within your own control. Instead of ruminating over what you can’t influence, identify what you are still capable of doing to improve your own situation and the situation of those around you. Concentrating on that is enough to make your life meaningful. Washing your hands have never been as meaningful and as valuable act as it is today. By doing that regularly you participate in an activity that literally saves human lives.”

Enjoy your life - this video with elderly people dancing brought me so much joy!

Million de Roses par l' Orchestre Dominique Moisan

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#all seasons #der natur donnerstag #digitalart dienstag #foto-tunes #gartenglück 
#image-in-ing #makrotex  #mosaic monday #my corner of the world #t in die neue woche 
#the weekend roundup #tuesday’s treasures #uudet värikollaasit #willy-nilly #watw