Tag: Ragtag Daily Prompt

Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 23

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Christmas balls, stars and light part 23
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Share what you know about the year you were born.

Daily Writing Prompt

Day 23

I was born in 1977, and I know it was the year Elvis died and Star Wars began. The latter was before I was born (in May), and Elvis died in August. Then, a bunch of celebrities were born that year, like Orlando Bloom, Chris Martin, lead singer in Coldplay, and my celeb twin, Zachary Quinto. I say this in an amative way because, let’s face it, it’s pretty cool to share a birthday with someone famous. Many are born on the same year or day, but not many with the same year and day. It feels like you’re twins but from another mother.

And then, of course, I was born. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing. I feel I was born at the right time. I lived my childhood in the 1980s and my youth in the 1990s. I lived at a time when there were no mobiles or computers. Then in an era when modern technology developed and into what it is today. So I’ve seen both worlds. I’m not too young or too old. I’m at the right age. Hopefully, I’ll be part of the future, at least for 30 more years. But you’ll never know.

Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 21

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Christmas balls, stars and light part 21
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Day 21

Snow shouldn’t come before the festivities, but here in Southern Finland, this Christmas is not lucky. We had snow last night, but it won’t last long because the forecast says it will rain tomorrow. I guess we should enjoy it while it lasts. I will never understand people who live in Finland and don’t like snow. I love it. If you can’t stand the snow, get out of the country. Or you might just live with it and stop complaining. Not that there is anything wrong with it. It’s time for festivities and not time to be disappointed. Weather isn’t something you can turn off and on again. You get what you get, and you live with it.

The view outside my window.

snow
©Mia Salminen 2024

Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 20

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Christmas balls, stars and light part 20
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Day 20

It’s four days until Christmas Eve; tomorrow, it’s the Winter Solstice. This means the days will become longer, and the darkness will slowly disappear. This Christmas, there won’t be snow in Southern Finland. It’s a shame because snow makes it lighter. Now it’s boring, and it doesn’t feel like a holiday at all. There won’t be snow in the place where I’m spending my Christmas time, so it doesn’t matter. Most of the time, I’m on a ship; what matters most is that there is no storm on the open sea. Eating and a rocking cruise ship are not a good combination. Screen name; Been there, done that.

Christmas Eve in Finland is when you eat Christmas dishes and open presents (if you have any). I don’t really care about the dishes, so I don’t bother doing them myself. I’m going on a cruise, so I don’t need to. I only eat one or two slices of baked ham, rutabaga casserole (but only if I made it myself), salted herring and salmon. Those are the most common Finnish dishes on Christmas. I’m more into sweet things like gingerbread cookies, pinecone-shaped cake, chocolates and Christmas pastries. Even as a kid, I couldn’t wait for dinner to be over so we could move to the desserts. I usually bake Christmas pastries with plum jam from ready-made dough, but I think it wastes time since I’m alone. They get mouldy before I have time to eat them. Even when Dad was around, they still didn’t last. Store-bought pastries don’t taste the same.

It’s good that the days will be longer and the darkness will come later. In Finland, it gets darker at 3:30 p.m. and lighter at about 9:30 a.m. And that’s in the South of Finland. Imagine how it is up north at this time. But when the Winter Solstice arrives, things will become nicer again. Christmas doesn’t only mean the end of 2024 is near but also that the spirit will rise, and it’s time to relax (for those who can).