I´m an addict. A sick one.

Well. Something unexpected happened. I was hospitalized. Yep. Here I am at Päijät-Häme Central Hospital for the third night on a row. And of all places, I'm at the maternity ward!
I'm probably already getting confused with the days but I guess it was Tuesday evening, when I got this sudden, shooting pain in my lower belly. I have quite a high tolerance when it comes to pain (having given birth twice without drugs of any kind, the second time of my own free will) so I got somewhat worried as I was doubled up with pain. We called our neighbour/friend to come over and watch the kids (who were sleeping) and my husband drove us to the emergency. From ER they sent us straight to gynecologist, as they suspected this was something that only women have. They took some samples and a doc examined me with an ultrasound. It seemed like there might have been cyst in my ovaries and it had ruptured, causing the pain. However they needed to wait for my blood test results before releasing me.
My husband decided to go home to let the babysitter get some sleep, so I stayed to hear the results. Nothing was badly wrong (I didn't seem to be bleeding internally nor was I pregnant) so they let me go home too but wanted me to com back over in the morning.
The next morning I came back with Velma. They checked me again and found nothing really wrong so I could go back home again but needed to come again for a check up on Friday. On Thursday I developed a fever. I struggled through the day thinking I would go to the appointment the following morning. In the evening my friends and family twisted my arm about so I called to the local health care unit and they asked me to immediately come over to check my blood if it showed infection. Boy did it indeed: their machine only showed 160 so they didn't know how high the number really was so I was told to get my stuff and leave for the Central Hospital.
And here I've been ever since. Getting mostly bored (without a proper access to the internet) and annoyed and big-boobed. The thing is that they won't let Velma stay here with me so I only get to feed her like twice a day. I was certain I'd get back home today as I'm feeling almost normal but the infection isn't responding to the antibiotics very quickly so I might have to stay here until Monday! And probably this is all because of this little hell-machine intrauterine device (?) that I let them put inside me against my better judgement in order to not fill the world with more little Gizmos that look like me and my hubbie, at least not for five years. 
Sometimes I almost wish I was a man. Almost. 
Oh, and why am I an addict. You're witnessing it right now. 

Logos, my new passion

As I've said I seem to suffer from "an activity-gene" in me that makes me volunteer for all kinds of stuff. Well, lately I've tried to get some name (or rather material for my portfolio when applying to Lahti University of Applied Sciences) by doing pro bono logo design. The latest effort is the logo for my ex-collegue, who set up an amazing café/interior design butique in Sweden. Here's the logo:

And actually my ex-substitute did their website at www.blomsterkroken.se


At the moment I'm drawing new logos for my husband's companies (Orimattila Water and Heat) and I did one for my neighbout/friens (an architect).


I don't know how good I'm in it, but I just love doing it!

Books

People who know me, know that I love books. I could spend ages in the library and fortunes in a bookstore. I've always loved the stories in the books, the language, the beautiful words, imaginative pictures... But recently I've noticed a love for the paper, the layout, the feel and smell of books too. Online shopping for books will be my ruin and you can imagine m y husband's face when I admit that I've bought yet another book "because the pages felt so nice in my fingers"... One of my more recent cravings are cook books. If only I had time and skill to actually make the foods that these books teach me.

Well, I thought I might as well make some use of this addiction of mine and let you know every now and then if I've found a gem of a book. We'll start by something, that has been open in my kitchen at least every week this winter:

KOTI - ruokaa koko perheelle

Marianne Kiskola

 I just love everything about this book: the photos, the layout, the paper, and naturally, the recipes. Easy, simple, delicious and homely. Comfort food at it's best!

And since I started to write about Christmas today, I'll add a favourite of the whole family for next November when all the moms are thinking about, what kind of calendar to get this December:

Neposen joulu

Anu Tuomi-Nikula (author) - Nadja Sarell (illustrations)

Funny, beautiful language, in a way traditional (In a "Pikku Kakkonen kind of way") but still fresh and unconventional. We read this twice now and I'm sure there's many more to come.  

Happy "half way there" birthday

My baby is growing soooo fast. On the 2nd of January, she turned half a year!

New Year

We spent New Year's eve at my sister's in Reittiö (right next to Tahkovuori, Nilsiä). Again, excellent food, best possible company, amazing fireworks, some drinks, lots of laughter. Even managed to steal a moment with the hubby dearest to celebrate our 7th anniversary. As sugary as it is, I still am very much in love with the man I married seven years ago.

Some were less enthusiastic about bowling than others...

Long time, no see...

Nope, didn't start too good this year, blogwise. But other than that, I'm not complaining.
So, what have I been up to? Let's see...

There was Christmas.

The girls got a swing in their new room, which was an instant hit.

It was raining, which was quite on the contrary to last year's Christmas. We were happy to have my mom with us for Christmas but were a bit sad that this year her mom wasn't among us anymore. We all miss her.

We made carelian pies and I managed to make an excellent jerk wild boar ham with Jamie Oliver's recipe.

All in all, Christmas was everything we had hoped for: quality time with the family, good food and relaxation.

Eka tunnustus

Kääks, mie oon saanu ekan tunnustuksen! Ja tietty juuri monen viikon hiljaiselon jälkeen... Kiitos kaunis Niinalle ja Kotiloille (http://gotilot.blogspot.com/) ja mukavaa, että olemme päätyneet näin monen mutkan kautta kuulumisyhteyteen =)

Tunnustuksessa pyydetään vastaamaan kymmeneen kysymykseen:

1. Lempiväri?

Hyvin kaikkiruokainen nykyään. Riippuu hyvin paljon puhutaanko vaatteista, sisustuksesta, väristä ylipäätään, vai mistä. Väreistä itsessään minnuu kiehtoo violetti ja indigo, mutta päälleni en sinistä juurikaan pue. Tykkään nykyään kovasti vihreistä vaatteista ja kesällä turkoosi raikastaa. Huvikumpu on ulkoa keltainen ja sisältä melko sininen. Maailma on värikäs ja hyvä niin =)

2. Lempieläin?

Jos olisin eläin, haluaisin olla karhu. Voisiko olla täydellisempää elämää kuin elo ilman luonnollisia vihollisia, vetäisi kesän ruokaa niin paljon kuin jaksaa, nukkuisi koko talven (ja saattaisi siinä sivussa pyöräyttää pari mukulaa puolinukuksissa) ja kas, heräisi keväällä laihtuneena, jolloin voisi jatkaa taas syömistä. Leppoisaa, sanoisin. Muutoin olen aina kokenut hengenheimolaisuutta delfiinien ja kissojen kanssa.

3. Lempinumero?

7

4. Paras alkoholiton juoma?

Mansikka-raparperi Bonaqua, rasvaton luomupiimä ja hyvä kuuma kaakao.

5. Facebook tai Twitter?

Facebook. Hello, my name is Saara. I'm an addict. Twitter tilikin on mut oon ehkä kerran twiitannu...

6. Intohimosi?

Milloin mikäkin. Yleensä se, mitä juuri sillä hetkellä haluaisin tehdä. Vähintään kaksi kertaa vuodessa matkustelu. Jotakuinkin joka toinen päivä karkit. Jos saan olla yksin kotona (=never) siivoaminen (ja mankelointi). Joihinkin kehittelemiini projekteihin kehittyy helposti intohimo (usein hetkellinen).

7. Lahjojen antaminen vai saaminen?

Ehdottomasti antaminen.Tuntuu olevan joillekin ihmisille vaikea uskoa mutta näin on. Rakastan yli kaiken keksiä juuri saajansa näköisiä lahjoja, niiden paketoimista, ilahtuneita ilmeitä... Ei liene epäselvää, että olen ihan sekaisin joulusta.

8. Mieleisin kuvio tai muoto?

Ympyrä.

9. Paras päivä viikossa?

Oli ennen perjantai mut nykyään ehkä lauantai. Sinänsä viikonpäivillä ei näin äitiyslomalla ole niin merkitystä.

10. Lempikukka?

Päivänkakkara ja auringonkukka.

Tunnustuksen jakaisin eteenpäin seuraaville blogeille:

Nelssonin maailmaa ihanien tyttösten kanssa ja taitavaa skräppäystä:
http://eioopakkojoseitaho.blogspot.com/

Vauhtia ja vaarallisia tilanteita à la Aimo:
http://aimopamaus.blogspot.com/

Ystävä, Velman kummi, Harvinainen nainen monessakin mielessä:
http://ruusukuppi.ambrotype.fi/

Cakes & Comedy (blogissa enimmäkseen tuota ensimmäistä) kuten vain pikkusisko osaa:
http://cremevanilla.blogspot.com/

Opiskelukaveri ja samoin ajatteleva äiti löytyi yllättävän läheltä:
http://vaahteramaelta.blogspot.com/

Vaikeitakin aiheita työn kautta tutuksi tulleelta ihanaiselta:
http://tinulinen.blogspot.com/

Velman odotuksen myötä uusi tuttavuus ja kaunis blogi:
http://akaasia.blogspot.com/