Our vappu this year was made of friends & family, balloons & rosies, and a picnic.

I couldn’t find my hat but the hair rose served as such…

My darling goddaughter Helmi with Papa Eric.

A certain somebody had Papa wrapped around her little finger..

Hanski’s wedding basket, converted into a bona fide picnic basket ♥.

My Baby in active pursuit. Sometimes a balloon – or a football – is all that’s needed.

Or a slippery rock you can slide down.. Uh we should really learn from our children.

My darling Tytti, my darling Serge. So nice to see the smiles of loved ones all around.

Friends are the new family, we concluded with Tytti. I believe so.

Beautiful Tytti with her son N-N. He’s such a wise soul, he never ceases to amaze me. We’ve had the most extraordinary conversations on topics ranging from Nelson Mandela, human kindness, racism, the good and the evil. Once, my sons told him about how we’d seen a man loot the local Siwa store for beer. N-N said Hmmmmm… Maybe the man really needed the beer and had no money to buy it. Just like somebody who has no money might need to steal milk for his baby.

That left my boys seriously thinking.

French Baron Gabriel, who has lived in Finland since World War 2, graced our little group with his presence yet another time. A very, very interesting personality with a very, very interesting life.

My Hanski!!! I’m so lucky to have her in my world. And selfishly, I’m sooooo glad she doesn’t live abroad anymore.

AND she wants to take me on a girls’ road trip next weekend. Sauna (haven’t been in more than a year), swimming in a lake (haven’t done in more than two years – I wonder if I’m still Finnish), good food, good conversation, long sleep, best of company. I’m so ready.

And last but not the least… Nobody makes hair rosies like my friend Mariannlinn Le Fay. This is a piece of her artwork, made of finest wools and  laces, all hand dyed

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Till next time my friends, now I’m off for my weekend escape. Sauna anda a swim, here I come!!!

~*♥*~

My friends got us ringside seats AND an invitation to watch the last rehearsals of the finale of the Voice of Finland – thank you Merru & Sini!!! You offered me the most wonderful evening!

The cool dudes – melting hearts with their very energetic rendition of  “Jos mä olisin sun mies”.

Oh I hope Ike will get a record deal… I really love his soft voice and soulful sound. And would you believe it, after the show I actually gathered my courage and went to introduce myself to him. I have an event coming up later in the autumn and I was hoping he could possibly sing a few songs there… Let’s talk about it, later, he said and gave me his email address.

Wow. I’m still amazed I dared to ask. Very unlike me.

There was a very tall and angrylooking security guy who was not happy if anyone sat on the stage or even touched it (even after the show). So secretly I brushed against it anyway… Rebel me.

A winning performance. There’s something about Antti Railio that the crowds really respond to. I hadn’t sensed it from tv but in a live show it was so clear you could touch it.

And some wouldn’t stay on their seats..

Some got tangled up in each other…

Some had their make up and microphone fixed at the same time.

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The most soulful, the most touching performance of the evening was by and far Mysteriet by Emilia Ekström and Lauri Tähkä.

Remember all the trash some papers have written about the bad blood and disputes between some of the VoF cast? Well, just looking at these pictures puts all that into perspective. Such warm support they offered each other; this is the stuff that has created the success of this show. Real people, real feelings.

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This photo brings me back to my school days when Michael’s picture was hidden inside my school desk… Just taking a peek at it every now and then brightened even the most miserable of days.

Cinderella shoes…

Last moment fix..

And it’s a wrap!

Right here, at the last bow my camera battery went blank. You’d think it was good timing but no no no…. So much fun still followed, the afterparty and all.

But that must be left to imagination now 🙂

~*♥*~