Two Capstan Row

Födelsedagskalas

I söndags var vi bjudna på födelsedagskalas hos Kea o Patten. Ellen fyllde nio år i förra veckan och Joas fyller två nästa vecka, så de hade gemensamt kalas.

On Sunday we were invited on Ellen's and Joas' birthday party. Ellen turned 9 last week and Joas will be 2 in a week, so they combined their parties.

Joas förstod nog inte helt vad det var frågan om, men tyckte iaf att det var trevligt att få öppna paket.
Joas opening his presents:

Kea med sex av sina sju barn:
My sister Kea with six of her seven kids. Everyone wants to help little brother out with his presents:

Storasyster Ellen:
Ellen, the oldest of my nieces and nephews:

Sofie, Hannah o Dani:

Ellen provar sina nya ridbyxor:
Ellen trying on her new riding pants. She loves riding horses, and is very happy that her godparents (Dani and Sofie) own four horses:

Mamma, jag o Mirjam:

Hon fick också en säkerhetsväst:
Trying on the safety west:

Aron:

Kea o Joas:

Vårt fadderbarn Ivar:
Our godson Ivar:

Mirjam:

Sofie o Hannes:

Jättegod hemlagad salmiakglass:
Delicious homemade salmiak (salted licorice) ice cream was served:

Och så jordgubbstårta:
Strawberry cake (which for some reason the American at the party liked much better - although he can't say for sure since he didn't try the ice cream):

Hospitalskullen på Korpholmen

Häromdagen besökte vi hospitalskullen på Korpholmen i Kronoby, där man "skötte" spetälskapatienter och mentalvårdspatienter på 1600-1800-talet. En intressant men sorglig del av vår historia...

The other day we visited a an old leprosy colony and hospital close to my parents' house. Here people with leprosy (and later mental illness and other diseases) were sent during 1631-1841. They were treated very harshly, sometimes beaten to get the "evil" out of them. A sad part of our history... Everything was destroyed in the 19th century, but has recently been rebuilt according to old maps by the local historical society.

Kapellet:
The chapel:

En brödstång i taket på ett av husen:
A stick on which the bread was dried and stored (the reason why we still have round bread with holes in the middle):

En isoleringscell:
This is what an isolation cell would look like. Inside it had only a bed to sleep on and a foot chain for the patients:

Insidan av kapellet. De som hade spetälska fick följa med gudstjänsten från ett bakre rum genom en liten glugg:
Inside the chapel. People with leprosy had to follow the service from a room behind the chapel, looking through a small hole in the wall:

Weslie The Grill Master

Weslie skämmer bort oss med fantastiskt god mat. Han har lagat mat de dagar mamma har jobbat, och blivit mycket populär på kuppen. Här ska han grilla revbensspjäll.

Weslie is spoiling us with some awesome cooking and grilling. He has been cooking the days mom's worked, and everybody loves his food. And mom can't stop bragging about him. Here he is making ribs, a new thing to most people here.

Fyra generationer

Fyra generationer tillsammans (en är dock fortfarande i magen) - mommo, mamma, jag och lilla Edith som växer och gör sig alltmer påmind om sin existens.

Four generations of ladies, even though one is still unborn. Here am I with my grandmother and mom, and my daughter in my belly.

Family Reunion

För några veckor sedan hade vi släktträff på mammas sida. Vi spenderade en härlig eftermiddag och kväll vid Merilä, umgicks och hade trevligt.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a family reunion on my mom's side of the family with my grandmother, aunts and uncles, and most of my cousins with their families. Lots of people and lots of fun.

Familjen har nyligen fått en ny 50-åring, Lasse, som förstås firades.
My uncle Lasse had just turned 50, which of course had to be celebrated. Here his siblings with their spouses are singing for him:

Lasse njuter av sången (eller var det kanske solen):
Here he is, enjoying the song (or maybe the sun):

En trevlig present fick han också, en stekpanna för utomhusbruk:
Admiring his present:

Det krävs många gubbar för att få ihop stekpannan:
It takes a lot of guys to get it all put together:

Jakobs dagar

Vi var inte alltför aktiva deltagare i Jakobs dagar, men några evenemang besökte vi dock. Här har Janina och hennes dansgrupp en uppvisning på gågatan.

Every summer the city of Jakobstad has a week long festival (Jakobs dagar) with lots of music and other events. We went to a few of these. Here is Janina performing with her dance team.

All möjlig sorts mat serverades. Här lite fisk:
All kinds of food was served. Here a small fried fish:

Ett snabbt besök på Makuuni. Måste passa på att njuta av riktigt godis så länge jag kan...
Finnish candy store - I have to enjoy good Finnish candy (salted licorice) as long as I can...