Friday, December 7

It is estimated that 80% of Finland has taken the day off to create a long winter weekend. We are two of the 80%.

The day started with another lengthy snowblading session. The girls and I moved some of the piles that had built up in the garden to the woods.

We have had lunch and I am waiting outside for Irma. We are about to make an epic shopping trip. This year winter has come so quickly that Minna and Tommi’s apple tree is still covered with apples. Right now it is full of hungry birds busily eating the apples while I watch.

Our trip will begin at Eho, where we will buy festive cakes, and then lead us to Hakkaniemihalli where we will spend an hour or more in the market. It will feel, as always, like a trip back in time. Finally we will head to Prisma and Stockmann, by the end of which we will have all the food and all the presents for tomorrow.

After dinner, we will bring the tree and decorations from the shed and spend an hour decorating the Christmas tree. I will assmble the revolving angles and Irma will hang decorations from the lamps, including my new Christmas robots.