all about the leafs

We went for a leaf hunt in Lloyd Park with the help of a Woodland Trust guide. 

Children brought her leafs

 and together we identified the trees.

I  I learned many new tree names in English.

This is a weeping willow. 

To be like a squirrel!

Some of us where very hot in the end of the two hour trip

and others where cold even in their thermal underwear.

with friends in Utrecht

We where in Utrecht for the weekend. I have friends there so we took the train to visit them. They had a beautiful new home in a quiet, clean and very Dutch neighborhood. I had forgotten how much I enjoy speaking Dutch. It felt like coming home. 

We had great weekend. 

We did not do much. 

We just drank tea and went to parks.

We cooked at home. My friends are vegetarians and I got new recipes. My son got introduced to Dutch delicacies; pancakes, cookies and chocolate pudding. In the evening after my son went to bed I watched television. It was a very relaxed weekend for us.

this is where i am staying

Last weeks I have been grumpy, waking up and feeling my horizon getting smaller and smaller. 

I am home sick, but the question is to where.  So I get up. 

And just when I think that this is not working, I meet my new friends and tell them about my bad mood. They listen and tell about their troubles. I get the feeling of connecting. 

If I where not here, I would not know these people. 

I am lucky to learn from a new place, even if it takes some adjusting.   

I don´t want to be here fantasizing about my life some place else. This is my home now.

hidden market

We where hungry wondering around Tower Bridge.

By magic we stumbled on Borough Market.

We ate cocoa marshmallow

and wondered around the market.

I had just finished a book by Isabella Allende

where they are making empanadas all the time.

I got really hungry from that book. 

Now we had the best Argentinian empanadas. 

autumn and us

When the sun peaks behind the clouds here, we try to get out.

Autumn is muddy with crisp mornings, just the way we like it.

rye bread and kale soup

I  made some kale and mutton soup. 

I am crazy about kale and  I hope my family does not start to object me using it. 

From our farmers market on sunday I get Finnish (Eastern Europien) rye bread. 

O the joy of eating!

I want to ride my bicycle

My son got for his birthday a real bicycle.

It has training wheels so it takes some getting use to.

He forgets that the bike does not always behave like a tricycle.

There is lots of falling in tight corners, but he always gets back up.  

He is very proud of his bike.

Thank you so much Daisy and co!