Autumn in Finland

It was nice to get away from the daily routine for some days and make a trip to Finland. Even when it was full of work, I had some time to meet my dear friend Minna as well as do some Christmas shopping in Helsinki! :) Unfortunately, the weather was as bad as in Estonia - rainy, grey and cold. The pictures didn't come out nice at all.

My route this time was:

Helsinki-Tampere-Riihimäki-Helsinki

Tampere

Photo: A rainy autumn morning in Tampere

Photo: I in front of Tampere University where we had a meeting.

Photo: Nice pink heather - my favourites during Autumn!

Photo: Culture house in Tampere

Photo: Just a big tree in its autumn robe

Riihimäki

Photo: As I arrived to Riihimäki in the dark, then the only photo taken there is at Minna's house!

Helsinki

Photo: House in Alvar Aalto's style

Photo: Winter caps are waiting in the market!

Photo: Streets in Helsinki.

Erik and tennis

When Erik was a kid, his father took him to the tennis practice. He went there for several years, but one day decided to quit and instead, go to the gym and be engaged with body-building.

After 15 years of not playing tennis, he thought he would try again this Autumn. His friend Valdeko needed a budy in the tennis court for some practice and Erik decided to join him. And it seems he has not forgotten how to play it, because already the 1st competition brought him the VICTORY! :)

Photos: www.coraltennis.ee

Local fame ;)

In Estonia, there are no PhD thesis defended in occupational safety before mine. Therefore, the news about it achieved some response among the specialists and journals in my area. In the end of summer, the editor of the magazine "Estonian Occupational Health" interviewed me and the result is now published. For some moments, I can enjoy the glory... :)

Well, this is not exactly true, because unfortunately, the area where I work in, will ever make me neither rich nor famous; since the safety culture is so low in Estonian enterprises, that the employers would live much more happily if there weren't those "stupid specialists" like me...

Photo: The first page of the article

How to store firewood?

As you can see, we are preparing for winter. It is one of those years, when we have ordered a lot of firewood directly from the forest (together with our neighbour) and try to invent the ways how to store them... Since we have much left from previous years in our woodshed, then we had to think where to put them - and just yesterday, Erik finished "the firewood tower" inspired by the similar ones (but much bigger) seen in Kuremäe Monastery (see a picture - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBt-5oSC0mmZhcSRqw0XzmNRWgDhzMpxPNC5yqvFAtbwGbYupQm6iABXuZD6ss7w9Px3xqrKu9X9UcoFDcuEDHFFSbOEgDYq8JvOow9qM6KtbqDe8SFP3zBbZ2PGxaQOluisoibWWIdxm/s1600-h/Eda+ja+Karin+Kuremael1.jpg )

It takes time to make this tower, but the result is much better than everything else what you can do with firewood...

Photo: The tower is still in the middle.

Photo: Picture taken today morning - the tower is finished.

Photo: Our new firewood tower

Happy Birthday, my niece!

Lisanne - my first niece - had her 1st birthday today. She is the most goregous little girl! It has been so lovely to watch her growing from new-born to a little girl throughout this year. I still remember so well when she was born and I saw her for the first time... she was such a cute baby-girl with long legs, and she is just as pretty right now, too...

Even when she doesn't walk, yet, she is improving a lot in this matter day by day and I'm quite sure that it's only a few weeks till she is running away from all of us.

We have been to her birthday party today, where all her relatives were present. And already this week, she'll go on her first holiday trip - to Crete. I hope she enjoys it!

Photo: Lisanne and her birthday cake to celebrate the 1st birthday

Photo: Lisanne with her cake

Photo: Lisanne sitting in her eating chair with the present bag we gave for her

Photo: My self-made card for Lisanne

Photo: Some presents Lisanne had for her birthday. We gave the pink Hello Kitty dress,another dress (the first one in right), and some pair of trousers.