Bloganuary: My favourite author

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old typewriter
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I grew up reading books from author Astrid Lindgren. I even did a presentation of her in school once. Books like Ronia the Robber’s Daughter and Pippi Longstocking. The swedish versions. But I have always loved movie versions better. I loved Ronia the Robber’s Daughter. I haven’t actually read the book, our teacher read it out loud in class. The same with Narnia:The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I also love The Brothers Lionheart, the movie. That proves why Lord of the rings and The Hobbit movies are my thing. I think my mother read Mio, My Son to me but I don’t really remember the story. Moomin was also a part of my childhood. I’ve read children’s books when I was in school. But I’m always been a lazy book reader. I prefer movie versions. I haven’t even finished Lord of the rings. I’ve tried (twice) but it just isn’t for me. I did manage to read The Hobbit a few years ago though. But that was much easier to read. I prefer reading biographies, nonfiction and books about a movies. Thick books with small fonts are a major turn off.

Quote from an old post of mine about writing reflections

Besides Astrid Lindgren, my favourite author is J.R.R Tolkien. He was more than an author. He made a different world. It’s incredible how he could make up his own language. But then again, he was a professor. He took inspiration even from Finnish literature. His books are difficult to read, though. I’ve only read The Hobbit. I’m a child at heart, so books like that are easy on the eyes, so to speak.

Bloganuary: I love my home but

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outdoor mat
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My home is in an ideal spot. I have a nice view, and it’s close to everything. I love my home, but the neighbours irritate me, like the one downstairs. She’s a smoker, and sometimes she has friends over. They can be on the balcony at 5 am and keep talking. It’s not nice at all. You can hear them speak out loud in the middle of the night. It’s not only downstairs. It’s in other flats too. Like one wasn’t enough. It feels like the walls are thin, but I think it’s the volume of their voice. At least it’s not all the time, though.

I have lived in my flat since 2005. My mother owned it, and I inherited it from her when she died. It’s nice to own a place of your own. It’s a very adult thing to have. I probably would live on rent if my mother hadn’t owned it. I don’t know if I’m gonna move any time soon. It’s for the view that I live for. Sometimes you can see a beautiful sky. The photos below are the view from my living room. It was taken early in the morning in 2015. The one on the left side was taken in May, and the one on the right, in April.

morninglight
Photo: ©️Mia Salminen 2015

You can see the view better in the 2nd photo. There are no tall buildings in the way, which makes the view to die for. I don’t know where I could find a view like that close to the downtown area. I have no reason to move anyway.

Bloganuary: What I am cooking

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spices on three spoons
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I can thank my late mother for teaching me how to cook and bake. As a child, I helped her in the kitchen and followed her cooking. It was always something simple, and sometimes we tried new recipes. That’s something I’ve continued with. The only thing I don’t like about cooking is the dirty dishes and the cleaning up afterwards. I don’t like making something that takes a long time to do. Sometimes I don’t bother to cook, so I buy something prepared from the store. During covid, I ordered in, and still do sometimes. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal, though. I don’t cook because I like it. I do it because a person has to eat. You can’t always eat store-bought.

I like making easy food, like different soups and sauces. Sometimes I use fresh vegetables, but recently they’ve been frozen. It’s easier that way and faster. It’s the washing and pealing that isn’t pleasant. It makes my hands dry with all that water. Different casseroles with potatoes are also easy to do in the oven. The principle is the same. It’s only the filling that is different. If I could choose, I like eating more than making it. But no one else is doing it, so I have to do it myself. Sometimes I eat vegan food, but I prefer buying it from the store. The only thing I made myself was vegetable soup. Once I made soup with a ground meat substitute, but it wasn’t as good as real meat. I could never become a vegan. It isn’t my thing, but I can eat it occasionally.

My favourite food is pizza and Chinese food. But I also like pasta bolognese. I make it without tomato paste, so it’s more like spaghetti and minced meat sauce. It’s fast and easy to do. If I go to a restaurant, it’s usually leaf steak or Wiener schnitzel. I don’t go to fast-food joints that often, but I’ve been to one last time I was in Helsinki. The only one I go to is McDonald’s. I’ve been to Burger King, but I only ordered chicken nuggets. I don’t like mayonnaise, so I’m cautious about where to eat hamburgers. McDonald’s is the only place I like, and it’s also a place I can afford to go to. All this food talk got my mouth watering, so I better go and eat that last chicken steak left.