days 270 & 272 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

yeyyy!!! starting to edit videos from our Lapland trip

😁

days 267, 268 & 269 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

🌨❄☃

days 264, 265 & 266 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

Amanda is having her ADHD episode...

i just went to the washroom

and when i got back in the kitchen

the mats looked like they were hit by a hurricane

now, she's sitting beside me and purring like crazy

she really knows how to melt my heart with her

cuteness 😻

days 262 & 263 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

😊

days 259 & 261 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i got movie tickets from Santa 😄

so last night, daddy and i went to the cinema to watch

Avatar: The Way of Water

it was amazing!

visually, i was so mesmerized

emotionally, i was angry and sad and happy

and all that roller-coaster kind of feelings

after the movie, i asked daddy

was it only me who felt like i couldn't breath when the

Na'vi's were diving in the water

or when Jake and the Colonel had that fight?

he said, he held his breath on those scenes

😁😂

when we got out of the theater,

i took a long deep breath of the winter air

and it felt good

😅

days 257 & 258 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

it really makes a difference when there are kids around on Christmas day.

we spent the Christmas eve with Pappa. it was relaxing,

 yes...

on Christmas day, the kids came 

there's noise everywhere, toys here and there

kids singing 

it's not so relaxing

yet,

the fun is there.

like, it really feels like Christmas.

it's true what they say...

Christmas is for kids

and kids make Christmas feel more like it should be

💓

day 255 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

Merry Christmas!

days 253 & 254 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

porkkana laatikko ✔

lanttu laatikko ✔

peruna laatikko is still in the oven

but it will soon be ✔

getting ready for Christmas

daddy went to the forest to pick up a tree 

i wanted to go with him 

but i still have these casseroles to prepare

i wish it will snow a little bit so we'll have a white christmas

....

days 250, 251 & 252 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

and just like that,

after a half day of rain

all the snow have melted

it looks like we're going to have 

a gray Christmas

😔

days 247, 248 & 249 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

✌

days 244 & 245 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

signs of getting old

weight gain...✔

backpain...✔

mood swings...✔

forgetting things all the time...✔

and some of the other signs that i forgot...✔

😁

days 242 & 243 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

😀

days 240 & 241 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

are you hearing Christmas songs all day everyday

yet?

🙀

days 238 & 239 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

a steam train trip to Loviisa 

💓

days 236 & 237 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

💭😻

days 234 & 235 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

christmas songs and snowy day is a perfect combination

maybe a cup hot cocoa will make things more fun!

day 233 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

it didn't snow today !!!

yahoo!!!

i've had enough snow work yesterday and the day before that.

today, i rest

😀

days 230, 231 & 232 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

we drove to Vierumäki last sunday to check on something.

on the way back, i needed to pee 😁

so we dropped by to my previous working place to pee

and to have coffee.

it's been over a year since i left that place.

there wasn't any familiar face to me anymore.

we were drinking our coffee and eating our buns there 

when i saw Raili.

i went to her and said hi.

we hugged and catched up. 

then Jenny came to our table, too,

to chat.

it was nice to see my old co-workers again.

and it feels nice how warm their greetings were.

💓

days 228 & 229 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

let the snow works begin!

😁

it's been snowing for many days now and the forecast says it will rain the whole week and the week after that.

it's going to be a white christmas!

days 225, 226 & 227 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i went to the hospital yesterday hoping for a check-up.

when i got in there, there was a long line of people.

i took a number and waited for my turn.

when my number was called, i went to the room and the nurse asked me

how she can help.

i told her that i have a cough for three weeks now.

she asked me if i had a flu or fever.

yes and yes.

she said that it's normal to have cough 

when one has flu.

but i told her that i don't have a flu now but i'm still coughing and

that i have a phlegm.

she told me that it's totally normal.

cough can last for a month or three.

usually, the cough just go away by itself. 

oh really?

and if i can't get some sleep because of this coughing?

well, she said, they won't make any checking if the cough

is not longer than three months.

great!

that was a great help!

days 222, 223 & 224 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

who's excited for Christmas?

NOT me!

👽

days 220, 221 & 222 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

daddy and i decided to have breakfast today in Oskari.

i'm thinking that i shouldn't do it again

because 

even if it's my day-off 

and i went there as a customer

i still felt that i need to work

😂

when our parking time was almost ending,

daddy said that we should go.

i started to take the dishes from the shelves and

took them to the kitchen.

😲😵

i better stay at home on my day-off ^_^

i haven't driven for over a month now.

and especially now that it has started to snow,

i feel scared to be behind the wheels.

but my husband is that kind of person who 

won't tolerate my fear.

he encouraged me to drive and when i told him

that we can go to the shop together

so he will be the one to drive,

he encouraged me even more to drive alone.

which i did...

sometimes...

or maybe most of the time,

i just need to conquer my fear

day 219 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i just can't believe my luck

why is it 

that when i'm going to have a long weekend off

i have to get sick

again 😓

i'm tired of being sick already...

😔😔😔

day 218 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

it's been snowing for the past couple of days now. it makes things look a little better. i mean, brighter.

november crept slowly and darkly 

now that it's transitioning to colder days

i hope winter won't bring too much snow 

😊

days 215, 216 & 217 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i've been wanting to make some brownie for over a week now. i finally had the time today. 

it's too sweet.

next time, i'll lessen the sugar.

days 213 and 214 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

after almost two weeks of being sick,

i finally able to get some goodnight's sleep

the cough didn't wake me up at night

i feel so happy!

days 210, 211 & 212 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

still feeling sick 

but

i want to take a walk in the forest

okay...

i will take a walk in the forest

😉

days 208 and 209 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i called to the health center this morning regarding my cough. it went well...

but daddy wasn't satisfied with my story when i told him what transpired in my phone conversation with the nurse.

when he came home from work, he drove me to the hospital. 

we waited outside the emergency area. when we were accommodated, the nurse told us to go to the other hospital in the city.

when we got to the city, the woman at the front desk told us that there's a long line already and we can't be accommodated because they're only open until 8pm. 

knowing daddy, i knew that he will give a speech to the front desk officer. i planned to pull him so we can just leave, but he already started his speech 🙈

i'm just glad that it wasn't a long one 😁

days 205 and 206 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

sometimes no matter how healthy you think

you are

this flu will catch up with you

😫😵😴

day 203 & 204 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

still under the awful spell of cough and sore throat

😷

day 202 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

so, the weekend happened

and now

i'm so tired...

it was so busy at the cafe for the father's day

i couldn't even imagine how Fefi and i survived 

yesterday...

😵😴

day 201 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

😷

day 200 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i've been down the weather since yesterday.

my throat hurts and i've been feeling symptoms of a flu.

😕😕😓

the day before yesterday, 

i watched "from scratch"...

i didn't mean to watch until the last episode...

but well, i was carried away by the story.

i haven't wept over a netflix series like i did while watching this one. i don't why it affected me so much. but i couldn't stop crying until the last scene. 

i just let the story carry me away.

after crying so much, i felt tired and went to bed early

😂

day 197 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i've been feeling really tired these past days.

i don't know if it's the weather

or work

or i'm just getting older

😴

day 196 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i'm officially done with my crochet project. as usual, my measurement is messed up. but i'm happy with how the sweater turned out! 

now, i'm looking for patterns for my next project 😁

day 195 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

my Spanish class started yesterday 😄

i always have bloopers when i'm doing something new...

first, i thought the class is every thursday.

so i asked a favor from work if i could have free evenings on thursdays.

my request was granted.

a couple of days before the class started, i checked the email that was sent to me when i registered to the class

only to find out that the classes are on wednesdays

😱

luckily, i have morning shifts on wednesdays for this month.

what a relief!

so, after work yesterday, i bought a new notebook and pen especially for my Spanish class 😁

i was so excited! 

at 16:30, i was looking for the building where our classes will be. 

i have google maps with me (of course!)

i got in the building where i thought the class would be.

when i saw the first room, i opened the door and say hello.

the teacher answered me in French. 

blooper!

it was a French class.

the teacher told me to check the next room somewhere in the building.

i did.

the next class that i disturbed was the Italian class.

and the teacher told me that i was in a completely different building.

ooopppsss

🙈🙈🙈🙈

so i went to the building where the Italian teacher pointed me to go.

i climbed the stairs to the third floor and knocked on one door. the teacher came out and she was speaking Spanish to me. i thought, finally i'm in the right class.

only to find out that it wasn't my class. she was teaching upper-level Spanish already. no wonder she spoke Spanish to me. 

anyway, she walked with me to the next classroom and asked the teacher there. 

but nope!

we walked to the other end of the hallway.

there was one empty room with a woman sitting on what looked like a teacher's place. 

and finally! i was at home!

😁

i was actually an hour early for the class. i just chose my place and settled down and waited for the rest of my classmates.

our first day was nice. i really want to learn Spanish. i can't wait for that day when i can speak Spanish fluently.

day 194 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

happy first of November 👻

the sun is playing hide and seek today

i want to play with the sun

😀

day 193 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

back to reality!

😁

 

daddy and i spent the weekend in Tallinn. it's a good thing that i had a free weekend from work. so, he booked a trip for us. 

just the two of us.

no Fasu. no Amanda.

sometimes, it's just wonderful to travel without the kids 😄

it was rainy and windy when we arrived in Tallinn. it was about 10 in the evening when we got out of the ship. we had to drive many times around the city because there was a tram accident. and the accident area was in that only road where we can get to the hotel. but it was nice to drive around the city and see the old houses. 

the next morning, it was still raining cats and dogs when we checked out. daddy bought some stuffs for work. then, we visited the house of one of his old friends. we also met his kids. i even got a drawing from them 💓

we checked in to another hotel on saturday evening. i love that hotel. it's quite modern and had a cozy feel to it. and the thing that i love the most is that they have a library. they have very interesting books on display there. i would love to stay there longer and read all their books.

daddy and i walked to the city to have dinner. it was so nice to just chill with him. our tummies were so full after dinner, and it helped that we had to walk for about 2km back to the hotel. 

on sunday, we had a nice breakfast at the hotel. then, we met the family of daddy's friend. they were nice and warm. the kids were also nice. one of their daughters, Janely was even holding hands with me while we were wandering around the tv tower. she gave me more of her drawings, too! and when we said goodbye to them, she looked so sad and wanted to take me home with them 😁

we were back in Lahti around 10:30 in the evening. i just put some of our stuffs away and crawled to bed. 

i set my alarm to 4:17 am. i had to get up to pee in the middle of the night. i checked the time on the radio and it was 3:40. i went back to bed thinking that i still have time to get more sleep. the next time i woke up, the time on the radio was 4:40. i got up quickly and wondered why my alarm didn't wake me up! when i checked the time on my phone, it was only 3:40...you see...daylight saving time...the time changed last sunday...😪

day 192 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

last night, the temperature went down to minus 5 degrees 😲

winter is coming...

i had time to take a long walk with Fasu in the forest yesterday.

the trees are getting bald, but the ground is still full of the bright autumn colors. 

what attracted me most are the different kinds of wild mushrooms that i saw along the way. they were so cute! i also saw something that looked like chantarelle. however, i am not an expert in mushrooms and i didn't want to pick the wrong kind. so, i just left them on the forest bed.

it was a nice long walk with Fasu. we encountered a couple of dogs and Fasu behaved well. we played fetch for a while on the wide field.

when we got home, i gave food for the girls, made a cup of coffee for myself, and sat on the sofa to continue doing my crochet project while watching "the Watcher" on Netflix. 😅

day 191 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

the lady who's been helping us at the cafe some of the times visited today...her eyes were sparkling when she told me that she's meeting someone today. like a date 💓 i felt so kilig for her.

she said that he contacted her from a newspaper posting. i didn't know that they are still doing that today. 

it's so nice that old people have that venue where they can find someone that they can connect with. 😍

days 186 & 187 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i still have a hang-over from our trip to the north. we didn't make any plans what to do after our stay in Ruka. the night before leaving Kuusamo, daddy took out the map and we just decided which route to take. our main goal was to get to Kilpisjärvi. 

and, i told daddy that i had a dream the night before the trip. i dreamt that we were driving around Norway and getting to Stryn. then daddy called to Kjersti to ask if they are home and if we could visit them. in my dream Kjersti sounded so excited, she said that they were not home at that moment but they will be in the evening. if we would still be in Stryn that time, then she'll be happy to see us. but daddy said, no. we won't stay long in Stryn because we are going to Turku. in my dream, i was so angry at him! we were already in Stryn and we can't even stay to meet Kjersti 😠 i was really mad with him!

so, when i told him about my dream, we crossed the border of Finland and Norway 😁

it was like...beyond my dreams! the places that we visited were Skibotn and Maandalen along the Lyngenfjord. i felt so nostalgic. it was like being back in Stryn. the mountains, the fjord...everything reminded me of Stryn. i am just so happy that daddy took that mile to drive around the mountains and through the tunnels to make my dream come true 💓

it was one of the nicest trips we've had. the weather was mostly nice. i didn't mind the heavy rain and wind that came with it on some nights. i even get to see Aurora Borealis during our stay in one camping area!!! i was so excited and happy! seeing the northern lights was a big big bonus for me!

nine days, daddy drove three thousand three hundred kilometers, we visited thirteen towns, camped at seven camping sites, ate five bags of chips, two bars of chocolates, countless photos, a lot of unforgettable memories!

autumn of 2022

my heart is full!

😍😍😍

days 184 & 185 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

 i woke up at almost 9 in the morning. i haven't slept so long lately. everytime i have a morning shift the next day, i don't usually get a good night's sleep. 

daddy forwarded to me a message from Tara...

that nanay Lablab is gone. 😢😢😢

she was battling with cancer these past years...

i had a flashback of memories from our younger years.

i have known her through our theater group in the university.

we were casted in the play "mga aso sa artiaga"

since then, i've been calling her nanay.

she was carefree but also mature in her views in life

even in our college days.

we laughed hard in all the funny things that we talked about...

when she got married, i also get to call her husband tatay...

her kids...

i feel so much for her kids...

i know that her family will take good care of them.

i hope they will grow up to be good human beings.

thank you nanay Lablab for all the good memories.

may you rest in peace.

days 182 & 183 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

yesterday, we drove to Turku to celebrate Erik's 4th birthday.

on the way to Turku and back, daddy and i were talking about the plans for the place in Guimaras. i'm usually not in the mood everytime he talks about this. but yesterday seemed to be a good day. i'm just trying not to be too hopeful about it because i know that we don't have much budget for it. we agreed that we'll just use what we have and not stress about it too much. (i hope so...) 😀

the sun sets at 7 pm nowadays...

😔😔😔😔

winter is coming...

days 179, 180 & 181 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

today, i went to the woods with Fasu. we had the usual throw and fetch thing. i like to take a walk with her in that particular area because no one else rarely shows up when we are there. but today, someone did. and it was creepy because she followed us up to the parking area 😱

daddy chose a movie for us to watch last night. a 1963 movie "the birds" by Alfred Hitchcock. i actually fell asleep somewhere in the movie but i did have nightmares in my sleep. never going to watch movies about birds again...

days 176 & 177 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i took a break from editing videos for a couple of weeks. i found a nice pattern for a bag and i thought instantly of making one for my sister...just in time for her birthday. i haven't crocheted a bag before so i was excited to do the project. and i think, it came out well...i actually like it a lot that i'm thinking to do another one for myself 😀

it's ruska time...

that's how they call it here in Finland, when the leaves turn to yellow or orange. it's a beautiful season of the year. last year, we drove up to Nuorgam to chase the ruska. and it's like candy to my eyes 😻

but here in Lahti, the leaves are starting to change to their autumn colors, too. i love walking more now...also, i love squishing the acorns that are spread on the ground. the cracking sound is so satisfying 😄

days 174 & 175 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

life's been nice lately...

or maybe, 

it's just that my mood has been nice lately

😂

perimenopause is a very challenging stage in a woman's life.

more than the hot flashes and night sweats,

the uncontrollable mood swings

are really hard to deal with. 

just imagine how hard much difficult it is with 

your partner to deal with 😄

-------------------------------------------

daddy's Estonian friends dropped by a while ago.

it was nice to talk to them. 

they were nice people.

days 172 & 173 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

last weekend was super nice.

i was finally able to ride the steam train! i have been checking their schedule since july. there had been trips that i wanted to be on, but we had something else to do then, so i had to wait for last weekend's trip.

my waiting has paid off 😃 it was a nice experience to be on the steam train. the creaking noise and all the movements were all parts of the wonderful journey to Loviisa. 

my first time to be in Loviisa. surprisingly, there was an open house for old traditional houses last weekend. we didn't go in to see any old house, but we walked along the street where the old houses were. 

we also checked the flea market with a lot of interesting old stuffs. we had lunch at a cozy restaurant. i ordered a plate of salad with marinated chicken. it was divine! i would eat that salad everyday if it was served to me 😄

the whole experience was nice because i was with daddy. as always, i planned to go alone. but he made that day available for this trip. and pappa took care of Fasu while we were away. it's nice to have a time together, just the two of us, once in a blue moon 😻

today starts our winter schedule at the cafe.

i had the morning shift and i had to wake up at 4:13 am. 😴

it was a bit hard to get out of bed so early. but at work, it was nice that i had time to prepare everything without hurrying so much. i would say, it was an easy day 😀

skipping rope fail

i bought a skipping rope from the shop because i am so inspired by Ms. Rica Peralejo. 

it looks easy. i thought i can do it. i even practiced skipping without the rope. and it was easy. but with a rope....oohhh...it's a different thing.

that evening, when we took Fasu for a walk, i told daddy that i will practice skipping with my newly bought rope. and i did! with only 5 (or less ) skips, i felt like giving up. gosh! it was difficult. i skipped every now and then until we were back home. 

it takes a lot of practice and determination to get to where those jumping rope experts are. i salute them! 😀👏

days 166, 167 & 168 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i got some green beans from Somi's sister's garden 😁

Somi told me one way to prepare it, with lime and fish sauce, which i did the moment i got home from the shop. i thought i will get that taste in Thai food that Somi makes, but no...it was good. i liked its taste but something is missing...hmmm...i will bring some to Somi tomorrow and ask her what she thinks about it. for sure, she will know what the missing ingredient is.

i'm glad that i didn't go with daddy to the garage. he called me while i was still at work if i wanted to go with him to Make's place. he thought i wanted to pick up some berries from the forest. but there is no forest near Make's place. it's just a vast area of swamp. hmmmm...daddy talaga!

and i don't want to pick-up cranberries from the swamp because the last time i was there with Fasu, one BIG black bird was chasing us. i don't want any bird encounters...😞

days 164 and 165 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

"the Sandman" is on netflix and i am binging from one episode to the next.

back when i was in Stryn, i was into clouds. different forms of clouds fascinated me. these days, i have been looking up more often and watch the clouds. they are so pretty. i'm happy to be able to enjoy this simple sight everyday.

day 163 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

august is still warm.

it's hard to work in the kitchen when it's warmer than the temperature outside. these past days, i have been sweating a lot when i'm working. i don't wish for the weather to get colder. i know it will come soon. but,...22 degrees should be okay 😁 30 degrees is not okay.

when i was walking home today, there were already fallen leaves on the ground. gosh! autumn is creeping slowly.

day 162 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i went to Helsinki yesterday with daddy. he had an appointment with one specialist about his arm problem. he has been going back and forth to the hospital here, but they couldn't find out what's really wrong with his arm or where the problem really is.

his physical therapist recommended one specialist, the one that he met yesterday. he was happy that he was able to talk to an expert about it. after some tests, the specialist told him that he has TOS, thoracic outlet syndrome. the good news is, the specialist thinks, it can still be treated with physical therapy. i'm so happy to know that he doesn't have to undergo the risky surgery. actually, the doctor here in the local hospital already put him in the waiting list for the operation. it could take 2 months or more before he can get a slot for the operation. but now, since the specialist doesn't recommend surgery for him, daddy needs to call to the hospital so they can crash him out from the waiting list.

after meeting with the specialist, we walked some blocks around the Bulevard side of Helsinki. it was my first time to be in that area. it was nice, i like it there! there were some cute cafes and ceramic shops. 

we found an Italian restaurant. when we got in, we were greeted by a golden retriever. he was so well-behaved and i can't help but call him 'babba' 😁 he goes from one table to another greeting customers or maybe asking for food. hehehe

i ordered lasagne bolognese. daddy wanted it too, but he was sure that they use garlic in it. so, he ordered some ham and cheese sandwich. on the first bite, he realized that they use garlic bread for the sandwich 😅

it was nice to spend some time with daddy. we haven't had much time together, i mean just the two of us, for a while. 

sometimes, i need to call his attention that i'm here! spend time with me, too! 😄

days 160 & 161 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i watched "Elvis" the other day with daddy. i felt sad towards

the end of the movie. it's a very sad thing when you want to do something, and someone is manipulating you to do something else. what's even sadder is that you want to get out of that situation but you can't. 

sigh!

life!

i'm enjoying the remaining warm days of late summer. today has been 27 degrees. i went for a walk with Fasu in the forest. it was nice because we didn't encounter any other soul in the forest. maybe it was too hot for people to walk. i wanted to go deep further into the other side of the forest but i thought it would be too much for Fasu. 

my mood lately has been going crazy. it's getting out of hand. it's driving me crazy that i can't control my emotions. and i'm sure it's driving daddy even more insane how to handle me and my moods. 

good luck to both of us 😈

ice cream date with Fasu

day off!!!

i was preparing to go to my dentist this morning, when i got a SOS message from work. i thought, i might as well come to help for a few minutes since it's near the dental clinic. 

well, it was really busy when i came there. i helped with the dishes for a while until it was time for my dental appointment. 😵

when i got home from work, Fasu was waiting for me. i felt guilty for leaving her in a hurry a few hours ago. so i took her for a walk which led to the cafe near the railway station. i got us some ice cream and we shared it as we sat under the shady tree and enjoyed the cool August breeze. 

Fasu's been so nice all the time that we were at the cafe. and it was nice to walk with her when we didn't encounter any other dogs. 😁

good weekend in Heinola

daddy drove Vaski to Heinola last thursday so we can stay there over the weekend. they had a street food festival and free concerts for kids and adults.

i joined the group just on saturday because i wanted to have some relaxing alone time at home.

i took the bus from Lahti to Heinola. it brought back memories to me when i was still working in Matkakeidas and taking the bus every day to work. 

it was raining very hard when i arrived in Heinola. i took refuge under the bridge until the rain calmed down, then i went to join the group in Vaski.

my mood was as dark as the weather. but it got better as time went by...just like the weather 😁

we went to visit the museum. after that, we went to the street food alley. i just had a burger. 

when Esa and Juli came, we had coffee near the harbor. then we drove with them to Siltasaari to have another cup of coffee. Siltasaari is like heaven to me. i mean, i can stay there all day and have coffee, read a book or just stare at the scenery. i love the place!

the kids love it, too! there were so many interesting things and they were running around which made the adults very nervous. 

we also walked beside the railway...it was a very nice experience to me. and you know what, one of these days, i will go back to Heinola and visit those places again. 

we went to the water tower. i visited that place 3 or 4 years ago...i thought that time that there isn't any other place to visit in Heinola. but i was wrong! i know now that i was wrong! in fact, i'm so ready to move and live in Heinola 😁

sunday.

i woke up at 8 and made breakfast. after i was done making food, people were still sleeping so i went to take a walk with Fasu.

after breakfast, we watched the concert for the kids. oh, how they loved it! kids were dancing and jumping in front of the stage. it's really nice that they organized something like that for the kids, too!

we had lunch and then we went back to watch Samae Koskinen's performance. i really love his cool voice and his songs.

after the Turku group left, we listened to Maija Vilkkumaa's  songs. we didn't go in the theater area anymore because it was full and Juli wanted to go to the playground. i accompanied her in the kid's area.

when we said our goodbyes to Esa and Juli, i drove dodge to Kalkkinen and daddy drove Vaski to the same destination. i hated the road to Kalkkinen. i wonder how i survived driving there yesterday. it was like a roller coaster ride. 

it took about 40 minutes to drive dodge from Heinola to Kalkkinen. for daddy and Vaski, it took 2 hours. Fasu and i waited for them at the harbor in Kalkkinen. we ate carrots. i read the book that i bought from the second-hand shop in Heinola while Fasu took a nap.

when daddy and Vaski came, we had dinner there and drove with dodge back to Lahti. we left Vaski at the harbor because it's still a long drive by boat back to Lahti.  

it was a very nice weekend! a bit stressful at times. but i will hold on to the nice stuffs 😁

days 152 and 153 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

technically, Amanda is still banned to be in the living room and bedroom. but daddy is not home, so i called her and allowed her to sleep on the bed. she was hesitant to come in at first. i had to call her many times before she slowly walked into the bedroom. i know daddy will be mad when he finds out that the cat has been here. but he wouldn't know it. what he doesn't know won't hurt him 😁

days 149 & 150 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

yesterday, daddy picked me up from work to join him and his friends and our neighbors in Vaski. they have been having sauna there and listening to some live music. there's this HeadLand music festival near the harbor. so, he drove Vaski near the concert area.

i was so tired after a busy day at work. so, when i came there, i just said hello to the pips, had a leg massage from daddy's therapist's wife and then went downstairs to sleep. i just woke up to pee around 5 but i went back to sleep. daddy woke me up after 10 to see Sanni's performance. 

we climb to Vaski's rooftop and watched the artist's performance from there. it was nice. a bit cold. but nice. 

it was after 1 in the morning when we arrived back to the harbor.

today, daddy took Pappa and his cousins for a boat ride to Enonsaari. the weather was nice, so it was perfect for the oldies to be out. we took a walk just around the beach area then went back to Vaski to have coffee and cake. it was a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

we went home around 4:30, watched formula 1...actually i fell asleep around the 40th something lap and woke up when there were only 2 laps left. 😁

Max won!

day 148 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i stopped doing my intermittent fasting. 5 months of doing it and i haven't noticed any results besides being unhappy. so i quit. 

i watched "El Bueno Patrón" in the cinema yesterday. a Spanish movie with Finnish and Swedish subtitles. i thought it would be challenging for my kokote and it was. it was a bit tiring for my eyes to read the text really fast and focus back to watch the scene and feel the emotions of the characters. it was a nice experience.

there's also one French movie being shown in the cinema now. i hope it's still showing next week. i hope i can watch it on my day off.

day 146 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i can't remember the last time that i rode a bike. 

maybe, 2 years ago....

when i woke up from my afternoon nap yesterday, it flashed to my kokote that i want to ride the bike and go somewhere. good thing daddy was home. since i haven't been using mummo's bike, he kept it in his garage. anyway, he took it out for me. 

i was supposed to go to renkomaki to check if there are blueberries already. well, i did reached to renkomaki but i didn't get to the exact destination that i had in mind. the forest where pappa always picks up berries. i took the forest route to avoid the traffic. i ended up getting lost. i left my phone at home, so i wasn't able to ask for google to help me out.

anyway, when i couldn't figure out where i was going, i turned back and rode the bicycle to where i came from. 

the view was super nice. the dense forest and the field of wheat. the fresh air soothing my face. i felt happy 💓 

i slowed down at some places to check out the blueberries, but they are still small. not ready for harvesting yet. i also checked out for chantarelles but nope! there wasn't any. 

so i just rode my bike and enjoyed the evening. 

i got home at 9:30 😊

days 144 & 145 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

rainy sunday.

day-off.

home alone with Amanda.

what more can i ask for?

😊😊😊

i'm watching "manifest" on Netflix these days. my sister added it to my list. like always, i get hooked to a series and i can't sleep until it's done and all the problems in the world are solved. when i'm addicted to a series, i always wake up feeling like a have a hang-over. i feel hazy and tired. but i have to wake up anyway so i can move on to the next episode 😄

i'll take a break from the series and take a walk in the forest. it's raining quite hard. but i can deal with that. that's what umbrellas are for 😏

days 141, 142 & 143 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

good morning! 

today is promised to be warm and sunny with some thunder and lightning at night. i'm scared of lightning, so i'm not looking forward to that.

yesterday, i went to visit one new cafe in the city. they opened last spring. it's in the same building where the museum is. it's modern and cozy. when i came, there was an orchestra performing. it was so nice to sit there and enjoy the music. life is really full of surprises! i wouldn't have known that today i will drink my cup of coffee while listening to a live orchestra 😍

after my "me time", i picked up Fasu from daddy's workplace. i get to say hello to Alma, the house owner's English sheepdog. she had a really cute hairstyle today. she was so playful with me that Fasu started to get jealous. so, i just took Fasu with me and took her for a walk in the forest. 

yesterday was warm, too. 30 degrees. it was too warm for Fasu although we walked in the shady areas of the forest. 

when daddy came home from work, we took Fasu to the dog beach. she enjoyed swimming and fetching some sticks. we didn't stay there for long because there were some dog owners waiting in line to get their pets to swim, too.

days 138 and 140 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

this morning, i put my hoodie on when i went out of the house.

when i went out of work, i put my hoodie on again. i was almost running on the way home because i felt so warm and i was sweating already. oh, these confusing days are starting all over again.

Somi brought some thai food to work. she was warming her food in the micro and i was about to go home. the customers started to flow in and i didn't want to linger in the café, so i left. while i was already on the way home, she called to me that our food is ready. hehehe. i wanted to try her sticky rice and spicy sauce...but maybe next time... next time when it's not so busy at work.

days 135 and 137 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

i am back to reality.

after a week of waking up late in the morning, sleeping late at night, waking up to the sound of the birds and flapping lake water, daily sauna, eating grilled makkara and baby potatoes, i am back to my daily routine.

work starts at 1pm today. 

i am still sleepy. 

i hope i'll survive this day.

day 134 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

my sister sent me two bottles of soju on my birthday. it's 13% alcohol. but i'm really wondering why i don't get drunk when i drink it. 

also, i'm wondering why i didn't get drunk last weekend when i've been drinking a lot. it's really a mystery to me because i know that i have a very low alcohol tolerance.

so last weekend, i had dinner with my co-workers. we were at this gastro pub that i've never been to before (well, i've never been to any pub before). before our food arrived, i already had one cocktail. and more cocktails came after that because they made really tasty ones. 

after dinner, some of my co-workers went home. i opted to stay with the younger ones because i just want to be out and enjoy and drink 😋

we went to another bar and ordered more drinks. then we took a taxi to the harbor and had more drinks there. at 12 midnight, i sent a message to daddy asking if he could pick me up. and he did.

since i came here, i have stopped drinking alcoholic drinks. okay, i would have a glass of wine or a can of cider every now and then. but nothing as much as i had last saturday night. 

and boy, those drinks were so delicious!

😋😋😋

day 133 of 365 | the life of Joanna Marie

there comes a time in my life when i feel like i'm carrying

all the problems in the world. 

my heart is so heavy today.