Hello hello! Heinsberg, 10.8.69

The hot summer continues, it hasn't been this beautiful and warm in years. It's wonderful to get up in the morning, the sun always shines. We were happy that Jürgen's vacation happened at a beautiful time, but now the same fair weather continues. Many days it is over 30 degrees in the shade, the children go swimming and Reinhard lazes outside without clothes from morning to evening. Sometimes I bring him inside when it's too hot outside. I have plenty of work and so this writing is left very little, even though in thought I often am with you. I wonder how mother's asthma responds to this weather? Jürgen suffers mainly from heat and dryness. Hopefully, you are not the same. There would be a lot to write about, especially about the trip, which was quite an experience for me. I always want to go somewhere, I wanted to get to Paris. Jürgen had saved a lot of summer vacation from last year, so he spent 5 weeks straight, two are still left, but I guess they have to be left for next year. The first week he was at his mother-in-law's in Hamburg. The children were still in school, so we were here, besides, his mother-in-law had her brother Gotthard with his wife from America visiting. Jürgen arranged his father's leftover papers and then brought his mother-in-law to Heinsberg when he came, so we could go on a trip without children.
Early in the morning, the weather looked rainy, we started driving through Holland to Belgium. Ghent was our first destination and we drove there directly through Antwerp without stopping anywhere along the way. It rained a little on the way but when we arrived the weather was good, and we went from one sightseeing to another, we hooked here and there, because the map was vague, and Ghent quite complicated. But it doesn't matter, because we had time and Ghent as well as Bruges, which was our destination the next day, are cities where the bourgeoisie early in the Middle Ages rose to power and wealth, and used their resources to build beautiful houses. Ghent is still today the center of the textile industry, and the city is not only a historical sight but a lively place. The greatest treasure of Ghent is the altarpiece painted by the Van Eyck brothers in the chapel of Saint Bavo's church. I thought it was the most beautiful and artistically accomplished work of the whole trip, Mona Lisa in the Louvre pales in comparison, in my opinion quite an ordinary painting. The Ghent altar is multifold, actually it is two paintings on top of each other, because when the altar cabinet doors are closed there is another painting on the door. Photographing it is useless, because the impression can never be given as it has seen itself. It was simply magnificent and I would be happy to travel there again. Bruges is near Ghent, but here weaves through all sorts of small places and tourists to Bruges are plentiful. It was teeming with tourists and the good income of the local Bruges is now mainly skinning tourists, every single sight lightened the wallet, excluding the unique street view itself. It is a surprisingly well-preserved and homogeneous medieval city, which nowadays really only sells itself and bobbin laces to tourists. We walked roughly all day, went to museums, churches, and all other tourist attractions, ate well in street cafes in the Belgian way. Belgians eat four courses for their meal: soup, appetizer, main course, and desserts. We spent almost 100 DM a day for the two of us, especially Paris was an expensive place, now they have devalued, a little too late for us. From Bruges we drove to France and along the canal coast all the way to Boulogne, where we stayed overnight. Jürgen went swimming, but otherwise there was nothing special there.
I was looking forward to the first experience of the French kitchen excitedly. The experience was there, but quite different from what I had expected. Firstly, there seemed to be no restaurant anywhere. There were plenty of little pubs, but they only served the thirsty. Then we found a sea restaurant, the prices were good, but the food! Firstly, we got a plate of small crabs with their shells and all in front of us. I tried with a knife and fork. Jürgen grabbed with his fingers, both with the same result, the creatures could not get out of their shells and that course we had to send back to the kitchen. Then followed a raw steak, tough as a 30-year-old cow. There was no more extraordinary dessert: an ice cream package straight from the fridge, just open the paper and eat. No culinary pleasure was created. In the evening our stomachs were penalized again, after a long search, we found a better place. We ordered pizza in the Italian way and cautiously dropped the sauce on its surface, which looked good, but the mouth burned from the terrible power of the hot sauce. So all the following French kitchen treats weren't much bigger, the butter tastes awful, the pastries were the best. It seemed to us that the raw steak and French fries are the most substantial food. In Paris, it was so hot that we lived mostly on drinks, Coca-Cola and beer, straight tap water and orange juice. After a couple of hundred meters,we were thirsty again. French coffee cups are huge, an average tasting drink, but better than in Belgium.
The next day we drove to Amiens to see the famous Gothic cathedral and the Picardie museum. There was one and the other thing to see in the city as well, the weather improved after being cloudy in Boulogne. In the evening a real surprise met: a tourist home, where we found a place to sleep was next to a circus, the whole street was filled with loud music, noise, loudspeakers and cars. The noise continued until half past midnight and I couldn't sleep anyway, because someone was playing his radio so loud in the neighbor that my nerves were about to give up. The next morning was Sunday. We were going to continue the journey early in the morning, but it was close to just being an intention as it turned out that the hotel staff did not exist at all, or if they did, they were sleeping so deep that they didn't wake up. Through the neighbors we somehow got our bill paid and headed towards Paris ... At this point I have to wonder and admire afterwards how well Jürgen did with his school French, it's been quite a long time from the times when he learned it. And the driving went without the slightest scratch on the car. Not even dangerous situations happened, and we were after all in Paris! Once we did sweat when we drove to one suburb after two holidays and there was a real traffic chaos on the streets.
No one cared about the traffic lights anymore, and only after driving carefully did we get where we were going. Actually, we came to Paris at the wrong time. We hadn't realized that July 14 is not only my father's birthday, but also France's national holiday, when museums, institutions, and shops are closed. Besides, we hadn't even looked at our travel guide closely enough to realize that all museums are closed on Tuesdays, because otherwise they are open every day. So we almost didn't get to see any of the sights, and we shortened the trip at the other end and decided to stay in Paris until Wednesday. We sacrificed Luxembourg, which I had already seen. To visit the Louvre, which Jürgen was already familiar with, so as not to jeopardize our return trip, we traveled around Paris almost exclusively by metro, which has stops almost everywhere. The system is very simple and takes you everywhere. On Sunday afternoon, we just wandered around. First we visited Notre Dame Cathedral and then ended up at the Louvre, which was packed with people, as admission is free on Sundays. It was hot and beautiful. The Parisian street scene is very colorful, and at almost every step you meet people of different nationalities, especially an unusually large number of Africans. Because it was a national holiday, all the public buildings were decorated with flags, and there were a lot of them, 3-5 flags in front of every window. It was an unforgettable sight, and at the tomb of the unknown soldier under the triumphal arch, there was a truly gigantic tricolor. We saw part of the parade, which was less impressive but still interesting. To Jürgen's amazement, the soldiers sang Nazi songs as they marched, but perhaps the Nazis had learned them from the French first. We walked from one end of the Champs Elysees to the other, then marched to the Eiffel Tower, which fortunately was open. We admired Paris from the air and then spent the rest of the day walking around the city, first visiting Napoleon's tomb. (Finnish granite, as the presenter also mentioned) very impressive. A huge sarcophagus in a round 'church'. Around Napoleon's tomb are the tombs of his generals, his brother, and other notable soldiers. Next door is the military museum, which was also open. Jürgen eagerly examined all the uniforms in detail, while I sat there bored, staring at the three-hour march behind me and another three hours ahead of me. At that point, I couldn't be bothered with war stuff. On Tuesday, we drove to the royal palace in Versailles, about 11 km from Paris, surrounded by a large park and as magnificent as one could imagine. After revolutions and wars, it has been restored with Rockefeller money. Of course, not all of the rooms are open to the public, but we saw a number of halls and came away convinced that the French kings of the time lacked nothing in splendor. Only part of the park was in the famous French style, with pyramid-shaped hedges and geometric flower beds; most of it was a 'natural park'. It was criss-crossed by wide paths, fountain wells, and statues. It is typical that all old parks in Paris are fenced in. Of course, the common people were not allowed to enter them before, and they have not been removed since. I also realized that I belonged to the common people when I returned in the evening. The hotel was primitive, untidy, and uncomfortable, but at least it wasn't that expensive. The toilet consisted of two footrests slightly raised above the floor with a hole between them. I only went there once. Wednesday, the last day, was as sunny and hot as the previous days. Fortunately, I noticed this at the Louvre, but in some of the other galleries it was as hot as a sauna. There was certainly no shortage of art to experience. We wandered quite faithfully from painting to painting. Others ran after the guide and saw about 1/50th of the collection. People stood around the Mona Lisa and marveled at it.
If they had dared to glance to the side, they would have seen five or six other paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, including the famous Madonna of the Rocks, but they didn't seem to be very interested. The Mona Lisa smiled from her red velvet frame, but her smile wasn't even that convincing, and the colors of the painting were completely ruined by the bright red background. There was a lot to see there, with all the newer art movements in different buildings. The Impressionists were at the other end of the Tuileries Garden and modern art was in the Orangerie gallery, which we didn't have the energy or time to visit, so we just enjoyed the Impressionists over dinner in the afternoon. I have never seen so many famous paintings in one day in my life. As a side effect of the art, I felt very flat after seeing all the traditional nude models. In three and a half days, we saw quite a lot of Paris, but it's not a place to go with children. Jürgen sighed with relief when he found the right road the next morning, and we arrived in Reims, the city of champagne and Gothic cathedrals, where we found a nice hotel. After Paris, it was clean and comfortable, with proper toilets. Reims was once the site of the coronation of French kings, and its Gothic cathedral is considered the most elegant of its kind. We came to the same conclusion after seeing Amiens, Bonais, Abbeville, and Notre Dame in Paris and its Gothic churches. They were all impressive with their tall stained glass windows, enormous proportions, and countless sculptures. Our travel plan was designed so that we could see as many Gothic churches as possible, although there was also a Romanesque church in Reims. Personally, I prefer Romanesque churches. They are simpler, and Finland's stone churches are more of that style. Here, close to us, especially in the Netherlands, there are several Romanesque churches. Yesterday, we happened to find another small, very beautiful one with painted walls similar to those in Perniö. These Gothic churches did not have wall paintings, but tapestries called gobelins. I always marvel at the enormous effort that went into making them. Unfortunately, the colors have faded somewhat in many of them, even though the material is otherwise in excellent condition despite being hundreds of years old. After visiting the church, we stopped by a real champagne cellar. The world's first and best champagne is called Veuve (widow) Cliquot. Reims is the center of the Champagne region and has a good dozen different cellars that produce only champagne. Veuve Cliquot (which is actually mostly underground) is located in a cave carved into the rock by the Romans. It has been greatly enlarged by the widow so that several million bottles can fit on its shelves at a time. The bottles rest in the cellar for about six years before going on sale. However, they do not always rest, as the production process involves shaking and rebottling them from time to time. Finally, we were each offered a glass of this sparkling drink to taste, and Jürgen bought a bottle as a souvenir for his mother and uncle. Uncle Gotthardt came to visit us as soon as we returned to Heinsberg. In Reims, we also bought artichokes to taste them together with our guest. Artichokes are a delicacy that I am not particularly fond of. Based on this trial tasting, eating them is mostly a matter of licking, which does not make you any fuller. The taste is not unfamiliar, but to continue with the story of the trip, the end of it was the journey home, crossing the Ardennes, along the banks of the Meuse River, and finally through the Veen plateau. The landscape was varied and beautifully wooded. And the banks of the Meuse were very beautiful. After four and a half hours, we were home, where everything was in perfect order, thanks to my mother-in-law's care. The next day, Uncle Gotthardt arrived for a couple of days, and I had to hurry to get the serving done. My mother-in-law stayed for another week, as she felt lonely in Hamburg with Aggie's family on vacation in the Alps. I had to start preserving food, as the grapes were overripe while Jürgen was in Hamburg before our trip. I had already been preserving every day, but this year's grape harvest was twice as large as usual, as was everything else in the Lehnhart garden. Strawberries and raspberries came before the grapes. There were lots of both, and they were sweet. The weather was so warm. After the grapes, it's now time for blackberries and apples. Lehnhart's garden has a particularly bountiful harvest of white currants. We eat apples like pigs eat potatoes.
Jürgen was confirmed as the first chemist at the beginning of July, but the gardener is only arriving now. Fortunately, the grass hasn't grown much at all due to the dry weather, so it hasn't needed mowing. It has been raining for two days now (it's been a week since I started writing this letter), but now it's okay to rain. The gardener only comes for a few hours once a week, but in the fall there isn't much else to do but repair things, and they aren't even allowed to do that. There were people downstairs this morning looking at the apartment. We'll probably have new neighbors. I tried to scare them off with our four kids, but if that didn't work, then they'll just have to put up with the noise and commotion. Reinhard screamed right under the window, as if on cue. The boy is brown and looks healthy. He was outside from morning to night on nice days. At 7 months, he weighed 8925 grams. He can now roll over onto his stomach and try to pull himself up from the bars of his playpen, but he can't quite do it yet. His hair is light. And it's boyishly short, everyone says he looks just like a boy. Mrs. Urlass brought him a gift card for his first shoes. Silja and Mirja got to move up to the attic to live, they are very happy there and claim that we have no say in the matter. It does make them more independent, as they have to clean up after themselves and make their beds. But the move didn't help them sleep longer in the morning. On the contrary, even during the holidays, they come down at six in the morning. Anja is now even more alone, playing her own imaginary games, singing and laughing, and she doesn't seem to mind. Kindergarten is a real lifesaver for her. This week, all three of them had stomach problems again. I had to change Anja's sheets twice in one night. Silja and Mirja are better at being sick. This letter has turned out to be quite long again. Best wishes to everyone and to Tuulikki.
Thank you for your letters. Warmest regards, Liisa

Hi Mom and Dad,

It's been exactly a month since Christmas, so we're already taking steps towards EASTER. We made plans yesterday and decided that we would take ALL THE KIDS to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Can we all come, except for Jürgen? The children's Easter vacation starts on Saturday, March 21, and that would be a good day for Jürgen to take us to the airport. We would fly via Hamburg, where we would have a three-hour layover, and arrive in Helsinki at 5:20 p.m. Of course, another option would be to arrive the next day, Sunday, whichever suits you best. I mean: pick us up from the airport, we could stay for at least two weeks. The girls have three weeks of vacation, but we can't leave Jürgen alone for that long, and it might be too much of a burden for you. We have to fly back on the 8:00 a.m. flight from Seutula, but maybe we could stay with Lasse for the last night. I went to apply for a passport for Reinhard today, so things are progressing on our end, as long as you agree. We are eagerly awaiting your next letter. Many heartfelt thanks for the Finnish magazine and the renewal of the subscription. I would miss it very much if it didn't come. Here are some Christmas photos of our family and a newspaper clipping from last Saturday's carnival, where yours truly achieved great success in national costume. It's true, I got a big box of chocolates there, because the participants from different nations were announced, and there were as many as ten different countries represented. We had to say a few words in our native language into the microphones, and the crowd cheered even though they didn't understand a word. Afterwards, some gentlemen came to ask us to dance. They had been to Finland and came to praise how beautiful Finland is. One of them even knew that my national costume was from Ostrobothnia. We spent two evenings in a row at the carnival. On Friday, Jürgen even had to give a humorous presentation at the bowling club. It was a speech event, and we had a lot of fun.

Jürgen wore a tailcoat, silk trousers, pince-nez glasses, and a huge bow tie under his chin. I wore Jürgen's grandmother's ancient evening gown and a large flowered hat. On Saturday evening, there was another German-English club meeting in Wassenberg, from which the newspaper clipping is taken. Silja was very excited—now we have a famous mother—even though she hardly knows me from the blurry photo. We've been very busy, and two weeks ago I had guests. I spent almost all my free time at the end of the week preparing for the visit. But we had a really nice evening, and the guests didn't leave until half past two in the morning. It's been pretty warm here lately, so the kids haven't been able to go skating, even though Mirja wouldn't have been able to anyway, even if there had been ice, because she broke her arm again, almost in the same place as a year and a half ago. It's foggy today. Jürgen was in Wuppertal in his own car today, and I was a little worried that he would be late if he had to drive slowly, but he came home at the usual time. Today I sewed an Indian girl's costume for Silja, so that's ready for next week's party. On Sunday we're going to Ruoff in Cologne, which will be Reinhard's first long car trip. It'll be nice to show him off; he's a sweet kid. Thanks to my mom, I got another Christmas book. Airi from Ristijoki wrote that she also read the Suosalmi book over Christmas, but she didn't like it. This one, however, surprises me much more with its ideas. I really enjoy reading books like this, although I don't think Finns are quite as crazy as the books describe. Nowadays, it's just fashionable to write that way. There are sales on here right now, and for the first time I've taken advantage of them in a planned way, because you can get shoes and clothes at a much lower price and still get decent quality. Silja and Mirja got winter boots, all the girls got tights, and I bought Silja a winter coat. I bought myself a wool sweater and new shoes. On February 15, Silja will be playing in a youth music competition, so remember to keep your fingers crossed for her. She practices for 45 minutes every day, but she still makes mistakes. Her teacher wants Silja and a couple of other students to take part in the competition, so we'll see how it goes. Anja is now learning to write letters, and her reading is coming along quite well. She is very worried that she doesn't know Finnish and occasionally looks up words in her primer and asks about them. Silja and Mirja will receive their midterm report cards this week. Both of their math scores have been slightly lower than before, so they may no longer be the best in their class. Mirja also had a four-week break during which she was unable to do her math homework. She has completed them on a typewriter, but unfortunately she has not been able to take part in the tests.

With warmest regards,
Liisa

Mom and Dad, dearest!

I'm sorry to write and cancel our visit. Yesterday, while we were in Bonn, Reinhard spilled hot coffee on himself and suffered such severe burns on his right arm, from his wrist to his elbow, that I am now unable to travel with him. Therefore, we must postpone our trip for the time being. I can't say yet for how long. If all goes well, we may still come after Easter, but otherwise not until summer. If it's summer, we'll come for Dad's birthday. Aunt Grete had invited us to her place, but Mom is currently in Bonn. I canceled our trip on Saturday because Reinhard had a slight fever, cough, and runny nose. On Sunday morning, however, he was so lively that we decided to go anyway. It would have been embarrassing not to go when the others had prepared for guests, and Jürgen didn't want to go without me. Just as we were about to leave, the accident happened. Without anyone noticing, Reinhard knocked over the coffee pot from the low serving table. The burn looked bad, so we drove him straight to the hospital, where he received first aid, and then hurried home and back to the hospital again. He should have been admitted to the hospital, but since there were no beds available, he is being treated at home. His hand is tied to the edge of the bed so that the blood can drain from his fingers. I don't know how long this phase will last, but if he heals normally, it will take about three weeks. Let's hope that's the case. It's so sad to write a letter like this. I know that you were looking forward to our visit as much as we were looking forward to next Sunday, but even though it has been canceled, we will come sooner or later. The tickets had already been purchased, so I will go to the travel agency today to arrange that and send you a telegram.

With warmest regards, Liisa and Jürgen
PS Please inform Lasse of the cancellation.

Hello!
Here they are at last, our thanks on behalf of all of us. It was wonderful to be there and to be so well looked after. It was such a heartwarming experience for me when all my sisters and brothers and you, my dear parents, welcomed us as if we had never been away. We weren't treated like strangers. That's why I felt so at home. I was a little afraid that you would have aged a lot in four years and changed a little, but that wasn't the case, and I feel relieved about that. I also think it's great that the children were, as always, so enthusiastic about Finland and its surroundings. They were especially lucky that there was still so much snow and they got to go skiing. In their opinion, they have already become real skiing champions. I had forgotten about the glistening snowdrifts and clear skies for many years. The weather here is perpetually slushy, which can make one feel gloomy. Our neighbors complain that they have not seen the sun for half a year. When we arrived, the sun was shining, but since Monday it has been gray and cool. Still, the rain has brought out the buds on the birch trees and the spring flowers. The white snowdrops are already drooping. At least the daffodils look cheerful and heartwarming despite everything. Yesterday we had rhubarb soup made from our own rhubarb, and the girls haven't taken off their short sleeves and knee socks, but the wind isn't really tempting us to put on lighter clothes. We still need to keep warm, otherwise we would feel cold. The girls had exams at school right away, but luckily they went well, even though we hadn't practiced. Reinhard got his measles vaccination on Monday, which has now kicked in.

Jürgen was of course happy to see us arrive safely and in good health. Today he left for three days in Wuppertal for some kind of event, and three men left from here, so I was left with the car. So I have time to organize a coffee party to show off my new cups. Customs didn't ask about them, so at least I saved on the fees and a lot else, but I would have needed two days in Helsinki, so it's good that I had already bought the fabrics for the girls in Perniö. Silja's skirt will be ready soon, and the other two are fighting over who will be next. Reinhard isn't fighting; he's happy because there are lots of things to develop around here. At least we can sleep until six here. On Sunday morning, I dressed him at six and went back to bed. He plays happily until eight, when I get up and, upon seeing me, immediately remembers that he is hungry. If it had been Grandpa, he would have gotten his porridge earlier. It turns out that Silja's piano skills are quite rustic, just as I thought. The winners are the children of music teachers or those top talents who have already studied at the music academy. She is not upset about losing at all; fortunately, she is not overly ambitious. I guess Mom is home by now. Nurmi said that someone from Salo will come and show you how to use the washing machine if you want and if you're afraid of the new appliance. My laundry had bad luck again today. First I hung it in the attic, then the weather turned nice, so I took it outside, but then it rained and the laundry got wet again, so I took it back to the attic to dry. That's enough fuss for now.

Warmest regards from all of us,
Liisa

Hello mom and dad! Heinsberg, August 2, 1970

It's the latter part of the summer, with morning dew flowing, fog and then humid heat. Sunday is almost like any other day except that Jyrgen goes to work only at half past nine. Reinhard pooped his pants twice, but then came a small quiet moment to sit on the swing and write. Heartfelt thanks for the mother's letter and father's handwriting. Good luck with your plans, are the strawberry plants already in the ground? We planted new seedlings this week, the previous ones were also Senga Sengana started to be small in size after three years. I hope mother has started using the new washing machine, although I understand the initial criticism. When we had to change our pulsator into a drum machine, we knew what we lost and what we gained. The loss meant a little more water and detergent, a larger electricity bill, and a slightly longer washing time. But on the plus side, you have to count labor savings and pleasant handling. There is no need to dress for laundry, not to be in damp steam, and it can be done entirely as sidelines. The only thing that still sometimes upsets me is that there is not always enough colorful laundry detergent to fill the machine. In my opinion, mother's illness is a reason that forgives those additional costs and perhaps saves from a hospital trip, which would otherwise result from laundry day. Couldn't a large part of that garbage be composted, at least the papers would rot. This quiet moment ended this time. It's 12 o'clock, the children came from church, Reinhard demands food and dinner must be cooked for others as well. It's really hot, but we can't go swimming because Jyrgen is on Sunday shift. One week and one day left until the holiday begins. And now the coffee has been drunk, but the peace was fleeting because Reinhardt climbed on my back. Although he hasn't been spoiled too much with cars, the car is his most favorite toy. They are driven with a sputtering mouth. He also likes to look at picture books and emotions are elicited in a moo-moo and woof-woof and a car.

First he thought birds were also woof-woof, he showed me a swallow sitting on an electrical wire and said woof woof, but then he started calling it piip -piip. When a fly and a cuckoo are also counted, this constitutes knowledge about animals for a one and a half year old. There have been no cats nearby that he would have learned to know them, and there have not been any sheep either. Reinhard has learned to drink from a cup and eat a sandwich from hand. He already has 12 teeth and a canine tooth is coming down below. When we are swimming, Reinhard comes well into the water and laughs and enjoys when we splash him but doesn't splash with his hands even though he does it in the bathtub. On the beach, he rolls around in the sand in happiness, it's obvious pleasure to be without plastic pants. I allow him to run at home when it's hot. But sometimes it happens that the other day he had taken two bottles from the medicine cabinet. One had gasoline, the other cough medicine. And there was a big puddle on the floor. I commanded the girls just in case to smell if it maybe was gasoline as it is flammable. The girls sniffed that it didn't smell like gasoline, but what if it was cough medicine, then I smelled it with my own nose. I concluded that it was just pee. Nothing else happens here other than this everyday life. I have canned and still get cherries and currants from the neighbor, maybe gooseberries as well. The garden is starting to bloom, sweet peas, snapdragons, cosmos flowers, heather flowers, marigolds, and others. The first tomato is red! Onions harvested, they were small this year, many almost the same size as in the spring when planting. The cabbage heads are beginning to swell and the carrots are big, but the leeks are still very skinny. The apple trees drop their half-ripe fruits. Reinhard and Anja take care of eating them. Other than that, Reinhard learned all by himself to thank. He is very polite and rarely forgets to say 'thank you', when given something.
When giving to others he also says thanks. I received a letter from Arja and then heard both about the party that funeral, relieved that we unknowingly participated in the wreath. I was plagued by a guilty conscience about it because I kept meaning to write to dad about it but then it didn't happen. I didn't bother to send it via Fleurop because I wasn't sure when the funeral would be held. Because of Leena's inertia, I felt deeply bothered even though Jürgen said that you did write a letter already. Arja said that the boys were not particularly upset. I'm sure it still cast a shadow on them, even if the relationship with their father was abnormal. In fact, their life is now becoming more normal, if Leena is able to be at home enough from her work. Of course, the boys need their mother and the feeling of home she creates, even though they have been used to being without her, but then at least Kaarlo was at home. Maybe Leena now rather wants to strive further south in Finland and closer to you there at home - I am then again waiting a detailed letter from mother, because no one else recounts things so precisely e.g. who gave the gold watch and who gave the crystal vase? Does Las's daughter become mother's namesake? Arja wrote that Sohvi will be baptized on Wednesday. Surely you will be in Vihti then. Doesn't Päivi then make return bike rides, if she once goes to Sweden on her holiday. The girls and I were disappointed when Dad's trip here didn't happen yet, but next summer I won't let you go. The journey from Helsinki to Travemünde is wonderful and from there we can come even if we have to pick you up. It would be so nice to see Leena after a long time. You won't believe how Silja and Mirja regret that they weren't born Finnish. They would rather be in Finland where winter has snow and summer has lakes, real swings, and a sauna! It's manna for my soul when I hear new sentences from them unexpectedly. The best part of Sunday is over, I should stop here. Our address in the Netherlands from 15.8.-5.9 is GALLANTSOOG, SANDEPARK GROOTE KEETEN NR 101, HOLLAND
Heartfelt greetings,
Liisa

Mom and Dad, dearest
When was the last time I wrote to you? In July, I think. My vacation only gave me enough energy to write cards. Now that wonderful time is over. Everyone is back at work, and the weather turned bad as soon as we returned, with storms and cold temperatures, but now, fortunately, it is beautiful again and so warm that I am sitting in my garden chair under the apple trees writing. But let's turn back the clock. Of course, we were excited to see what kind of place we would end up in, but to our great satisfaction, the vacation cottage was neat, comfortable, and satisfying in every way. The cottage village must have been established a few years ago, because the bushes, lawns, flower beds, and everything else were already man-sized and set the cottages a little more individual peace and quiet. It was a 10-minute walk to the beach, but we usually drove halfway because Reinhard had a stroller with us, and it would have sunk into the thick sand. The first week was fairly calm, with a couple of light showers, but we still went to the beach every day, if not for a walk. The waves of the North Sea are an experience in themselves. The bigger the waves, the louder the roar. The beach is covered in fine white sand. Behind the wide strip of beach are sand dunes, which the Dutch lovingly cultivate with flowers. For them, it is a matter of protection against the sea. As we stood on the dunes, it felt as if the horizon of the land was lower than that of the sea. Gallantsoog is a very small village in the municipality of Groote Keete, where we were even smaller. Just a few farmhouses, a couple of shops, and two or three restaurants. Still, there were quite a lot of summer visitors. Most of them were Germans, who, in their peaceful way, have "occupied" the Netherlands much more effectively than Hitler's forces. Otherwise, the Dutch are friendly towards Germans, and I did not notice any hostility, unlike in Denmark a couple of years ago. The Dutch are also very fond of children. Children were spoken to and people were interested in them. Reinhard called them "lekkerding," which is best translated as "sweet creature." although lekker actually means "delicious." In the Netherlands, one simply cannot fail to notice the general cleanliness and orderliness. You can see inside everyone's windows, as the windows are large and low, and the screens cover at most half of the upper part of the window. They have lots of knick-knacks, antiques, and flowers. The apartments look really cozy. It is remarkable that you never meet rude or arrogant people; the workers look as reserved and civilized as the intelligentsia in any other country, and their work clothes always look freshly washed. We visited Schaagen on market day, when people wear traditional costumes for tourists in the summer and, as an added attraction, drive around in old-fashioned horse-drawn carriages, children dance in clogs at the market, and musicians walk around playing accordions and, of course, collecting coins. Anja disappeared in the crowd and was only found in police custody. We were already getting nervous. The second week of our vacation was hot and cloudless. We spent our days from morning to evening on the beach while the children played in the sand. Anja couldn't overcome her fear of water. She screamed hysterically and stiff with fear, "Silja, save me!" when Jyrgen tried to teach her how to swim. Even though the sea was almost calm and Reinhard went into the water up to his neck, laughing, Anja was not encouraged.
Reinhard was ultimately quite enthusiastic about the water, even to the point of being reckless. On the beach, he rolled around in the warm sand, enjoying the freedom of being without pants. It was a pleasure to watch. At times, he slept on the sand, as we couldn't bring ourselves to go home before two or three in the afternoon. In between, we played badminton on the lawn. We had German neighbors on both sides. It didn't take long for the children to get to know each other. After that, Reinhard didn't find much to do with me, because the boy had toy cars with him and Reinhard suddenly developed a passion for cars. Toy cars were no longer enough for him. He had to let Jürgen drive first, and the neighbors would lift him into his car when he was always fiddling with the steering wheel. The last week was a little cooler, but it didn't rain. In the afternoons, we took short trips around the area. We visited the unique little houses along the canal street in Zaandam and saw the cottage where Tsar Peter had lived while studying shipbuilding. Nikolai II had a brick house built around the cottage to make it more durable. But Anja got scared and wet her pants in the tsar's yard, so we had to hurry away. I wonder if the guide realized where that puddle had come from. In Leiden, we went to a museum, but Reinhard only wanted to look out the window at the cars and ships, so that trip wasn't entirely successful either. October 4, that's how time passes when you devote yourself to your family and work and only entertain yourself by writing letters on Sundays. Uncle Gotthard from America spent a weekend with us on his vacation in Europe. Until the beginning of October, it had been wonderfully beautiful and warm, but the change of month brought a change in the weather, and now it is raining and the heating creates a cozy atmosphere. Speaking of heating, I was immediately annoyed when I heard from my neighbors that coal prices have fallen since the summer. Until now, summer deliveries have always been cheaper, but now it's the opposite, so we bought a full basement supply in July. The children's school started right after we returned from Holland. Anja, a first grader, is an eager student, and if this continues, she won't need much supervision. Silja chose English as her first foreign language, and she is also happy with the novelty of it at school. She immediately got a six in her first math test, so the difficulties are coming as we predicted. Then all three of them started studying music. There is a music school here where Silja's piano teacher is a teacher, and at his recommendation, Silja became a piano student instead of a private student. Mirja is studying the flute and Anja is receiving early music education, which is the most fun of all. They have small red xylophones that are designed specifically for small children. They also have piano keys, and learning notes is like a fun game these days. Anja's school doesn't start until 10 a.m., so we haven't had any trouble with braids and morning rush yet. On Saturdays, she goes at 8 a.m., and then Mirja combs her sister's hair. During the summer holidays, it was the turn of each of the older sisters to do this. They have been vain since they were little, and combing hair is a fun chore for them.
Silja and Mirja's hair reaches their shoulders, which is fashionable, but of course it bothers them, so sometimes we pull it back into a ponytail and sometimes we tuck it behind their ears. A love of horses is something that unites all three of them. In Holland, they saw lots of horses and especially ponies, and when they came home, they were so excited that they cleaned and groomed the trash cans, fed and watered these imaginary horses, and rode them in a game of one comrade being the riding instructor and giving orders. So there was nothing else to do but take them to a real pony riding lesson. Jürgen and I were afraid for them as they took turns climbing into the saddle and, under the guidance of the pony's owner, had their first five minutes of riding. It was a rather unruly pony that kept trying to go down, and the girls just laughed, even though I thought they would turn pale with fear, as I would have done, but they loved it and wanted to do it again soon. Besides, Silja and Mirja have been milking cows in that meadow where they graze every evening. They watch as they are first milked by machine and then by hand. They tried it themselves with the calmest cows, and they did get some milk. My job has been preserving food and washing windows and curtains. Then the ladies from the neighborhood came over for coffee, as they remembered me with a birthday present, and one week's special task was to sew the "Poncho" cape that Silja wanted instead of a winter coat. Silja doesn't have much winter clothing left, and I don't know much about winter clothing, so new ones have to be sewn, and I would be happy to sew again after a long break. Last Saturday, we picked some apples from the tree, but most of them still need to be picked. Yesterday it rained and I was at the hairdresser's getting a perm, because in the evening we were at the English-German club's autumn dance, from which we returned home at four in the morning. Almost all the ladies (except me) wore long evening gowns, so it seems that maxi fashion is haunting their minds, as no one used to wear evening gowns there before. So next time I'll have to get myself a wardrobe full of them, even though I won't have much use for them. Reinhardt has grown a lot, weighing 15 kg and growing so tall that he can reach the door handles and open them. Nothing is safe from him anymore, and he is also in great danger now that he knows how to open the gate to the street. The neighbor lady has rescued him from there a few times. Sometimes I have noticed that someone has left the gate unlocked again.
Cars naturally attract attention, and we can only hope that nothing happens to our son now that it is raining heavily and wet, as he can no longer be allowed outside alone for hours on end. Our son speaks Finnish and German and understands both languages well. He repeats many words more or less correctly. "Saksek" means scissors, and "ajaa autoa" means to drive a car. This important expression is clear to him in both languages. He can tell a tractor and a car apart by the sound they make. If he doesn't happen to see the tractor, he calls it "takto." He really likes cheese. We brought Edam cheese back from Holland as a souvenir when we visited there. It is very old and hard, but delicious. Once at the dinner table, Jürgen decided to teach Reinhard that cheese is "Käse" in German. Jürgen showed him the cheese and said "Käse." We all shouted in unison "cheese" "cheese." Reinhard looked puzzled and then solved the problem in his own way: "nam nam," he said, and then it was our turn to marvel at the boy's diplomatic skills. When he waves goodbye, he says "bye bye" in both languages, one after the other. While the girls were playing with the trash can horses, Reinhard's thumb got stuck in the gap in the lid, which caused his nails to come off and has been quite painful. The burn scars are still visible, although perhaps a little less so than in the spring. We still haven't received the doctor's bill for the treatment. Last night, he fell headfirst from the bed, which he was lying on the edge of. It seems like he has had enough accidents, but he doesn't learn his lesson. This morning, he was standing on the edge of his bed again. Next week, Lapuainen morsian (The Lapua Bride) will be on TV in Finnish. I'm trying to persuade Jürgen to buy a television by then. Have you seen any pictures of it yet? But otherwise, I think that next summer we have to come with Dad and Leena, and this time it has to happen for real. Mom (Anpoppi) is coming for a few days at the end of October last week. I almost caught a hare in the yard; I would have caught it with my bare hands without a doubt. It was sleeping so soundly that it didn't even flinch when I poked it awake. Only when I started beating the bushes next to its hiding place and almost hit it on the snout did it wake up and take off. I cursed my stupidity a little too late. It had eaten the best of the cabbage while we were in Holland.

Well, hey, greetings to everyone
Liisa and everyone else

Dear Mother,
it must be about a month since our letters crossed paths. How are you feeling now, since you weren't feeling well then? Have you been in the hospital in the meantime? And what else is going on? I think it's Eero's birthday in a couple of days, so please give him my congratulations. And Sami will soon be celebrating her first birthday. Or is there a new baby on the way? That's exciting, especially for Samilla, even though she doesn't know it yet. But you must have your hands full with two children. It's nice to have children who are wanted and who have space, and they certainly do. I'm also busy with these children now that Jürgen is taking care of himself. The last time Jürgen was at home, we had to have a serious talk because we found out that Anja had been stealing small amounts of money from one person or another to buy candy and other things she wanted. We had to be really strict with her, even though we are also at fault in that we have tried to keep the children away from sweets. At school, there are kids who snack and drink soda during every break. Anja has always had a sweet tooth, and she is also the most fragile of our children. Of course, we understand her, and that's why she now takes more snacks with her to school from home. Apparently, she is also in a new stage of development, as her mood is changeable, volatile, easily offended, and unrestrained. Silja's development has been more peaceful throughout. Mirja, on the other hand, is still clearly unbalanced, although this only manifests itself as occasional bad moods. Silja's great source of jealousy, Mirja's dance partner, found his way all the way to Willingrade, but Mirja was not particularly fond of him and seems to have already sent him away for the time being. For Mirja, a horse is a better friend than a boyfriend. There's nothing wrong with boys, but I also think it's pointless to start dating at such a young age. Silja now has a good friend in her class who is just as enthusiastic about history as Silja is. She brought her friend to our house and my mother's right away. They are both nice, and we talked for a long time, and then I stayed over at their house. Silja continues to develop her craft skills. She sewed herself a skirt because she is so fashion-conscious and absolutely had to have a long skirt, a knee-length bell skirt. Now she has sewn herself a nightgown and a blouse using the same pattern, and next she will sew long pants. I have already bought the fabric. Of course, a long skirt needs a long coat to go with it, and I've already made one to my daughter's satisfaction. I'm currently sewing a long skirt for Mirja for her dance class graduation. I once bought a piece of black velvet in Heinsberg, a remnant, but it wasn't quite long enough, so I have to buy another half meter and cover the seam with braided ribbon. The main thing is that Mirja is happy.
Silja likes my long skirt, so making one will be enough for now. We'll see how long Silja and I can get by with just one skirt. As far as I'm concerned, you can sell the loom; I'll probably never have time to weave again, even though I wouldn't mind doing it, of course, and the girls would probably enjoy it too, but we simply live too far away and have to limit ourselves in some ways, as weaving is no longer a necessity in life as it used to be. Silja and Mirja are now helping to turn the soil on a voluntary basis. They tried to fill their pile with five when I planted 10 new bushes in the garage by the roadside. There is still work to be done in the garden, but it is raining quite a lot and it is cold again, but I will go out again this week when the most important sewing is done. However, there will be new tasks now, as we have decided to buy a deep-freeze freezer (I can't think of the right word right now). This decision was prompted by two pieces of good news: first, we found out that we don't have to pay back the moving costs, which would have been 6,000 DM. Secondly, we received an unexpected tax refund. So we've been in a celebratory mood. The first thing we need to do is pack the carrots into the freezer, which we haven't even bought yet. On the other hand, I didn't have to take those other children into my care, at least not yet, because Mrs. Schuett didn't get the job she was talking about. There have been fewer jobs available and the economy is running at a slower pace. Mrs. Schuett said that prices in Finland had risen sharply and were still rising. How are you getting along financially, Mom? We no longer have to worry about large expenses, so we can help out again if needed. Is Dad's gravestone in place? By the way, I finally received a reply to my letter from the land surveying office in Salo. They said that the separation will not be finalized until next summer, but I should authorize someone living in Finland whom they could contact if necessary. I thought I would ask Lassen to take care of it. It shouldn't be too much work, but I need to know if they already have all the necessary paperwork or if they need anything else. Jürgen is coming to visit this week. Friday is a Catholic holiday, so he gets an extra day for his trip. Luckily, my mother-in-law was with him during the week. I heard it was cold, but I guess it's been chilly everywhere this fall. Hissu, our cat, is eating mice, and he's visibly gained weight. And that's about all the news I have. How did that javelin thing turn out? It wasn't the only one in its field; I heard that a travel agency in England went under too. Another Sunday has passed. In the morning, I took the children to church. Reinhard likes playing the organ, but I think the sermon bored him a little. Please give my regards to everyone when you see them or write to them. We won't be moving for a long time yet, says Jürgen. Nothing has been started yet. All the best to you, dear mother. I would love to come and visit again. We are already planning for next summer.
Warmest regards, Liisa
PS Erkki Lahti, Chief Constable of Perniö