UPDATE FOR TODAY.......

We had a great day in the temple today! But, every day is a great day. I am feeling a bit more comfortable with Russian the more I have a chance to use it.....which is just about every day now! Love that. Pretty much at any given time I find myself using not only Finnish but English and Russian! The Lord is truly blessing me with being able to tackle these difficult languages!

We are on the morning shift this week. Us Temple Missionaries had our Wednesday night meeting with the President and Matron in the temple tonight. It was very good. When we got home our skype phone was ringing. It was S & E and crew!! How fun to talk to them for a minute....... or two.....the kids are all getting sooooo big!!

Here is the 'skype' picture. Love modern technology. S & E were going to go for a run around town and go by our home to check on things. Still NO SCHOOL.....this is the 2nd week now. Roads are not clear enough to even get 2 school buses down 'B' Street! Everybody is so ready for school to start again!!

A DAY LATE.....BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!

We had a fun, full P-Day yesterday! We started the morning off by driving over to Sello for a few quick groceries and errands.....like Posti, Tiimari and Florist. And, of course, City Market for the food. Not much but a few necessities! On the way over there we noticed these 'tracks' in the snow on the temple vacant lot. The TEMPLE HARE had been through there. He can't hide his trail with these kind of 'paw prints'. I sure hope we can get him to slow down long enough one day before we leave to take his picture.....and more than a blur like we have!

Sorry......but had to take one more picture of the beautiful temple. We walked over to Tuula's hair dresser place for my hair cut! I can't believe these 5 weeks can go by so quickly. I just don't know how that happens.

The ALAKOSKI'S invited us over to their home in the afternoon. We had a wonderful time! We had NO idea of what to expect. They just wanted to have us over and we said yes. They are wonderful people and we have enjoyed so much working with them in the temple. He was the 1st counselor in President Luthy's Presidency.

Sisar Alakoski is quite the 'handicraft' person. My goodness......I have never seen so many beautiful handmade things.....except maybe in my mother's own home!! While we sat and visited she just sat there knitting a pair of socks. And with 5 needles! Incredible. Didn't even look at what she was doing!

After we had a delicious afternoon meal (not lunch and not dinner!) of homemade salmon soup, which was out of this world, and a delicious fruit cake, we sat around talking some more. It was time to see all of her wonderful handiworks. She took me up to her 'store'!! Her husband didn't know she had so much.

And she only brought out PART of what she has.

I picked out and bought several things. A lot of what she makes has HEARTS on it. She loves hearts and said she had made 1,789 hearts to date!!! WOW

Because Wayne's birthday is this week, she told him to pick out a pair of sock and mittens as a gift to him! He did and they are so warm!!! Very unique the way she makes hers. Not like anyone else's! And I bought me a HAT....a typical Finnish hat. So warm and comfortable. I also bought a wall hanging with hearts on it (of course). And on the hearts are handmade lace from Rauma....well known all over for their beautiful LACE!!! I induldged in a cute heart pillow for our bed along with a pair of wrist warmers! I look forward to going back again and buying more for the grandkids!! :-)

We thought we would be gone for about 2 hours.....5 hours later we arrived back at the asuntola! GREAT DAY!!!

WRAPPING UP THE WEEKEND......

This has been Rostov, Russia week. We have not had as many Russians as we have had in the past.....maybe winter time, maybe the cost for them to come. Not sure why but those who came were so excited about being here. It has been a very fulfilling week for them.

When we finished working at the temple on Saturday afternoon, Veli Jäkkö came to our apartment so he could teach us how to make Finnish PULLA. It is really good and I wanted to know how the Finns make it.

He uses NO recipe because his mother taught him how to make it. Therefore, as he 'threw things into the pot' I tried to estimate how much of what he was putting in! This should be interesting to make in the future! Fingers and hands were his best 'kitchen tools'!

The WHOLE bag of flour will be just fine for him! None of this 5 or 6 cup thing!

And, again, NO mixer......just hands to knead the dough until it doesn't 'stick to your hand' any longer....then you know it is ready to rise!!

Now it was time to take over the dining room table and roll the dough out so it can be shaped.

And cutting it just 'his style'.......angled and not a straight line......

However, Sisar Jäkkö prefers to braid hers.......

And then it was rising again before the baking took place.

We had about 18 or so missionaries staying int he asuntola this weekend......visas renewed. We had a perfect 'audience' to share the 5 trays of PULLA with. And now they can go back to Russia and tell all their friends they have had authentic FINNISH PULL!

VALENTINE'S DAY CELEBRATION

Tonight at church we had a FRIENDSHIP VALENTINE EVENING. It was put on by the Haaga Ward Relief Society. A lot of folks came and really enjoyed themselves. It was a nice way to end the weekend.

This week......St. Petersburg Russia Saints will be arriving tomorrow afternoon.

PLEASANT SURPRISE TODAY.......

The Multamäki's were at the temple this afternoon. They brought some freshly made PULLA to us that the matriarch Sisar Multimäki had made just for us! Man....they are soooo good!! That was our dinner tonight. I hope I can learn to make these delicious Finnish bread.

A little blown but nonetheless, gave another bookmark to this sweet little Russian sisret tonight. She is from St. Petersburg. She is a dancer and a singer! She was so sweet. She just had to give me something too.....she gave me a bookmark that she made!

Rostov saints leave tomorrow and head home. Next week.....St. Petersburg, Russia

TRYING TO STAY FOCUSED HERE......

WITH ALL OF THE HORRIBLY BIG SNOW FALL AND BLIZZARD AT HOME, IT IS A DIFFICULT THING TO DO!

Some reports are giving a total of about 50" of snow over the past week at home in Maryland. All major highways in Frederick County are shut down due to not being able to get snow plows out to get them cleared off. There was a white-out blizzard yesterday and huge drifts. Even snow plows were getting stuck on the major roads! Brunswick City Administrator sent out a 'plea' for a Doctor in town (Brunswick) who could help with emergencies since the emergency vehicles can NOT get to Frederick to the Hospital. IF we were home I know a really good doctor who would come out of 'retirement' to help out and probably LOVE doing it!

But, we are NOT at home, Dorothy! We are here in Finland with our own mounds of snow. At least folks are used to it here and it does not seem to be a problem.....yet!

So, I continue to stay focused on my Finnish and Russian languages....having used BOTH today in the temple. It feels good to be of service using both languages.

I have made a few more little goodies to share with those who come from near and far:

Anna is a 14 year old who is here with her parents from Rostov, Russia. She has been participating in baptisms this week. She is just the cutest little thing! And so excited about her little gift!

Tatiana Pashkina is also from Rostov. I have seen her a number of times now since we arrived last summer. She was thrilled to get her bookmark!

She just had to share something with me so she gave me her little box of Tic-Tacs. Bless her little sweet heart! The Russians (and Finns) are just like that. They want to share whatever they have. She even shared her conversion story with us. She was baptized a member of the Church on April 14, 1991 in Utah. Go figure. She had a friend who went to America (Utah) for a teacher exchange program. While there she learned about the Church, got baptized and told Sisar Pashkina she had to come to Utah and hear what she had heard! She did and was baptized!

And last for today....these two Sisar Missionaries are serving in the Yekaterinburg Russia Mission. They were here getting their visas renewed, got back on the airplane to head back to Russia only to be escorted OFF again because the visa had not been updated correctly! They are here until that can get things sorted out. They got a handmade 'needle-felting' egg made by me. They were so excited!

That is my story for today and I am sticking to it!!

MID-WEEK UPDATES........

We are thinking GREEN.....green grass, flowers.....you know, those kinds of things! Green - spring.

It has continued to snow off and on forever and 'Frosty' is in need of yet another 'snowcut'! Bless his little pea-pickin heart.

My basket of handmade 'needle-felting' eggs has grown a whole bunch too. I have had fun making them.

And yesterday the SUN came out and we had an absolutely kaunis BLUE sky! Couldn't resist another picture of the temple as we walked up the steps to go to work.

This is Rostov, Russia week. There have not been as many folks here this week as in weeks past. The comment was made that it is either because of the snowy weather (which I would think people are used to here!) and the people want to stay home and 'hunker' down OR people are saving their money so they can attend the KIEV UKRAINE TEMPLE later this year when it opens (hopefully). Not sure why....but we continue to love those who do come!

SHORT AND SWEET......

AND TASTY

TONIGHT!

We are on the afternoon shift this week. We got home and have a quick dinner.....heated some leftover homemade soup and tuna casserole.

Knock - Knock - Knock on the door!

Veli Jäkkö was there. He had made us some Pulla.....a Finnish homemade bread (for lack of knowing how else to describe it). It is DELICIOUS! If you have never had it before, you need to try it.

When I can figure out how to read the recipe, I just may try my hand at it!! :-) Will let you know how it goes!