An important request to ALL our readers

Dear Readers of all our blogs,

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that we will now have to make all our major blogs accessible only to those who register with us.

The subjects we have covered over the years include the wrestler Dara Singh (probably the most popular and controversial blog entries, ever), St. Stephen's College, Delhi, Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai, Bishop Cotton School, Bangalore, the UN, talk Shows in the USA, politics, the Kandathil and Maliyakal families, Kampitie, Vesaisentie, Annikki's creative art, achievements of our children and grandchildren, CHAFF (Chamber for Assistance of Finns and Foreigners), Findians, our numerous friends, relatives, our travels, recipes, and life in general. Above all, t they contained the nostalgia the people love.

Due to circumstances far beyond our control, which affect the lives of many of our loved ones, we have to create the SETTINGS of our blogs so that only those whom we invite can read them. This is very sad as our blogs have reunited many friends across the continents.

With over 120000 readers around the world, some reading more than one of our blogs, for a decrepit old blogger and his wife sitting near the North Pole, this will prove to be a Herculean task, but one which has to be done for the safety, security and well being of many of our loved ones.

Please take the time and effort to send us an email telling us which of our blogs you want to be added to so that you can access them freely.

Our sincere apologies to each and every one of you lovely readers who have kept us going for almost a decade and a half by your readership, your inputs and your outputs!

Yours in great sadness as technology besides being a positive aspect of life can also be a very negative one.

Annikki and Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

One from my Snowmen archvies

Ever since I was a little girl I have created hundreds of snowmen, each year an unique one. Mobile snowmen is my recent creative thought which started in 2007.

I think one of my best snowmen was when I made one for my husband, Jacob, after he had gone to bed on the eve of his birthday in 2006.

I worked for a couple of hours after midnight, so that when he woke up at 4 am and looked out of the kitchen window, he saw this sight!

From Mobile Snowman / Liikkuva Lumiukko

He was laughing for more than a couple of hours! I think he appreciated that one almost as much as he appreciates his special birthday cakes! :-)

Making the snowmen comfortable

Yesterday was a very windy day, so I thought I would make my snowmen in Vesaisentie comfortable with a scarf and a hat.

From Mobile Snowman / Liikkuva Lumiukko

Also the snowman on the swing was very lonely, so I built him a companion! I also gave them both scarves and hats to keep them warm on this blustery day.

From Mobile Snowman / Liikkuva Lumiukko

2010 Model of a Mobile Snowman

Day-before-yesterday and yesterday, the temperature was + 1 C after a massive snowfall in Oulu. It was ideal as I had plenty of snowman snow in the garden.

I first cleared the pathways in the garden and created a huge mound of snow at the back.

There I made snow caves and put in coloured lanterns, so we had a beautiful coloured snow garden last night. (Unfortunately, neither Jacob or I took pictures of this!)

I did do something else, but I did not tell Jacob in the evening.

When he came home yesterday afternoon, I asked him whether he had looked around the garden. He looked out of the kitchen window and burst out laughing.



There, sitting on the garden chair was an enormous snowman, relaxing.



Then he turned his eyes towards the garden swing. Sitting there, ready to be pushed, was my this year's creation of a mobile snowman!

The snow under the swing is a bit too much at the moment. We have been promised temperatures of around -7 C in a day or two, which should freeze this armchair, swinging snowman.

Hopefully these snowmen will last till the grandchildren arrive!