Happy International Women’s Day!

Celebrating International Women’s Day (8th of March)
Poetry, Humour, Celebration

main

Happy International Women’s Day!

International Women’s Day (IWD) (http://www.internationalwomensday.com), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political, and social achievements. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended the culture of many countries, primarily in Europe, especially those in the Soviet Bloc. In some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for people to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. In other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. Some people celebrate the day by wearing purple ribbons.

History

“I know who I am. I am not perfect. I’m not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I’m one of them” Mary J. Blige

superwoman

Woman

What a wondrous creature is a woman
How unique, noble and oh so stunning
Smart, sexy, able and very, very funny

Call her…
If your house is a flooding
And you need help with the plumbing

Call her…
If your band is a bumming
And you need someone a drumming

Call her…
If the weather is making you grunting
And you need someone for shining

Call her…
Simply
If you need someone for hugging

symbol

Happy Women’s Day to One and All!

WONDER WOMEN

SL WEEK AWARD 2016 Winner!

Posted in Awards, Celebration, SL-WEEK

19753433535_b48f6d007c_o

SL-WEEK AWARD 2016

Time for a celebration for Rantings!

My series “Fuzzy Vision” won Sylvain Landry‘s  SL WEEK 26 photo challenge of the week. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside 😉

sl-week-award26

Check out the related posts:

Fuzzy Vision, One (SL-WEEK 26)

Fuzzy Vision, Two (SL-WEEK 26)

Fuzzy Vision, Three (SL-WEEK 26)

Fuzzy Vision, Four (SL-WEEK 26)

Fuzzy Vision, Five (SL-WEEK 26)

Fuzzy Vision, Six (SL-WEEK 26)

Fuzzy Vision, Seven (SL-WEEK 26)

18739140684_5da5eccf3a_o

Kalevala Day (Finnish Culture Day) in Finland 28th of February

In honour of Kalevala Day 28th of February, Celebration

main

“Words shall not be hid
nor spells buried
might shall not sink underground
though the mighty go.”
― Elias Lönnrot, The Kalevala

Kalevala Day (Finnish Culture Day) in Finland 28th of February

main 2

The Kalevala or The Kalewala (/ˌkɑːləˈvɑːlə/; Finnish: [ˈkɑle̞ʋɑlɑ]) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology.

It is regarded as the national epic of Karelia and Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. The Kalevala played an instrumental role in the development of the Finnish national identity, the intensification of Finland’s language strife and the growing sense of nationality that ultimately led to Finland’s independence from Russia in 1917.

The first version of The Kalevala (called The Old Kalevala) was published in 1835. The version most commonly known today was first published in 1849 and consists of 22,795 verses, divided into fifty songs (Finnish: runot). The title can be interpreted as “The Land of Kaleva” or “Kalevia”.

Gallen_Kallela_The_Aino_Triptych

gallen_kallela_lemminkainens_mother

kalevala_series___ilmatar    kalevala_series___ilmatar_2jpg

nicolai kochergin_kalevala_19_the mistress of pohjola chases the vainamoinens boat_01    nicolai kochergin_kalevala_16_vainamoinen and ilmarinen go to pohjola to take the sampo_02

nicolai kochergin_kalevala_15_ilmarinen makes a new wife of silver and gold_01      nicolai kochergin_kalevala_05_ilmarinen crafts the sampo_02

nicolai kochergin_kalevala_05_ilmarinen crafts the sampo_01    nicolai kochergin_kalevala_04_vainamoinen seeks the beauty of pohjola_03

1337 Post Celebration @ Rantings Of A Third Kind

Celebration time on Rantings Of A Third Kind

redballoons

“I still blog, therefore, I still am”

1337 Post Celebration @ Rantings Of A Third Kind

post-milestone-1337-2x-1

For some reason, Word Press decided 1337 posts is a landmark and therefor I am celebrating once again 😉

Thanks to You, all my followers and readers for keeping me going!

Keep calm and keep on blogging!
Gun

blog def

Happy Valentine’s Day: Me and My Shadow

Celebrating Valentine’s Day!

caught

“Just remember if we get caught, you’re deaf and I don’t speak English”

Me and My Shadow

It was nineteen eighty-five
When I hitched a ride
Ever since that time
We have been tied
Like sugar and spice
Abbott and Costello
And what have you
I am still quite amazed
And feeling totally graced
That someone would stare at my face
For thirty odd years straight
So thanks for all this time, sweetheart
Lets try to make it to the next part
And add another thirty to the cart
After all the most important thing
Which makes you want to sing
It’s good to have that one person
Who will support you without a reason
No matter how serious
Or delirious
Life gets
I will bet
You will still be the one
Who I can rely on
To go absolutely
And completely
Bonkers with
Ain’t that a hit!

me and my shadow

Shrove Tuesday (Daily Photo)

Posted in the Daily Photo series
Poetry & Photography

laskiaispulla

“I started a Shrove Tuesday and then by Ash Wednesday something had happened and I had a bottle of beer” Mick McCarthy

Shrove Tuesday (Daily Photo)

Shrove Tuesday (known in some countries as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake day) is a day in February or March preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes. In others, especially those where it is called Mardi Gras or some translation thereof, this is a carnival day, and also the last day of “fat eating” or “gorging” before the fasting period of Lent.

In Finland, Shrovetide took on a new meaning after the Reformation started by the German Martin Luther (1483-1546) from ca 1520 on. In the rural calendar, it marked the date by which many springtime tasks and duties, like spinning etc, should be brought to conclusion.

Nowadays Shrovetide is more of a secular festival season, a time for winter sport enthusiasts as well as for feasts of fatty foods, although the Lenten fasting ritual is not practiced among the Finnish Evangelical-Lutheran Church.

On Shrove Tuesday, children in many kindergartens and schools are taken to spend the day tobogganing, ice skating or cross-country or downhill skiing.

Popular Finnish Shrovetide desserts are Shrove buns, almond paste and whipped cream-filled sweet buns, which you will find sold in every bakery and store at Shrovetide, and Finnish oven-baked pancake served with jam. In Finland, the habit of eating Shrove buns can be dated back to the 17th century, but this tradition is even older in Sweden, where it originally came from.

laskiaispulla

Welcome To Finland’s Midsummer (Repost for TBT)

Posted in the Throwback Thursday weekly series
Poetry, photography, tales and things that nature!

midsummer-dream

“At least there is no snow on the ground” Gun Roswell

Welcome To Finland’s Midsummer

Not creature stirred
Not even a mouse
Vision getting blurred
Or just an illusion
If you come to the conclusion
And dare to leave the house
Heed this warning
The rain come a down pouring
Soon you will be scorning
The streets empty and deserted
The barbeque outside forgotten and defeated
Shivering in ten plus degrees
Wishing you had paid the fees
Of a nice vacation abroad
But your plan was flawed
Planning on spending
The day never ending
At home in stead
Spending the Finnish carnival
An event most formidable
Even though holier than thou
Or the proverbial sacred cow
That was all but a dream
You hear yourself scream
If you’d only been so lucky
But now feeling yucky
Your midsummer
What a bummer
Surely a nightmare to remember

So what really happened:

juhannus-truth

Runeberg torte: In honour of the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877)

Posted in Celebration, National Day, Food
Finnish National Anthem

“Our land, our land, our fatherland,
Sound loud, O name of worth!
No mount that meets the heaven’s band.
No hidden vale, no wavewashed strand.
Is loved, as is our native North. Our own forefathers’ earth.

Thy blossom, in the bud laid low,
Yet ripened shall upspring.
See! From our love once more shall grow
Thy light, thy joy, thy hope, thy glow!
And clearer yet one day shall ring The song our land shall sing.”

Johan Ludvig Runeberg

runeberg

Runeberg torte: In honour of the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877)

Runeberg torte is a Finnish pastry flavored with almonds and arrack or rum and it weighs about 100 grams. Raspberry jam inside a sugar ring is commonly placed on top of the tart.

The torte got its name from the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877) who, according to legend, enjoyed the torte with punsch for every breakfast. Runeberg tortes are typically eaten only in Finland and are generally available in stores from the beginning of January to Runeberg’s birthday on February 5.

Delicious!

runeberg torte

What’s in a Name?

Celebrating “Name Day”
Posted in humour, celebration

(Atone)-Obsidian-Battle-Maiden

“Through the grayest of stones I’ll go”

What’s in a Name?

Given Name GUNILLA
GENDER: Feminine
USAGE: Swedish

Swedish variant of GUNHILD

OTHER LANGUAGES: Gunnhildr (Ancient Scandinavian), Gunhild (Danish), Gunhild, Gunnhild (Norwegian), Gunhilda (Scandinavian)

The meaning of the name “Gunilla” is: “Battle maiden”

concept_art__battle_maiden_by_espj_o-d6tw1gb
We Scandinavians have the funny habit of celebrating our “name days”. The names are dotted into the calendar and for each day, several names have their celebration. Today, on the thirtieth of January, is my name day: Gunilla. Also been called Gun, Gunu and Nilla. Not to mention the very popular “Gorilla”, back on the lower levels in school!
I found this very funny stuff on the world wide web, as if the name would define the character, but still some of it fits to my personality.

Enjoy!

Who is she?

Friendly and communicative, Gunilla has plenty of charm and magnetism. A sociable extrovert, she is pleasant, cheerful and very likable. She was born to express herself, interact with others and have a good time. She seeks the company of others and enjoys exchange and discussion, even though it is often a one-sided affair.

Gunilla goes through phases where, like the grasshopper in the fable she is inclined to an easy life of having fun and enjoying the pleasures of this world – which naturally entails a certain amount of dissipation… followed by other periods where she imitates the ant, bravely facing life´s challenges and capable of putting up with constraints as well as considerable effort, discipline and determination.

Gunilla is a concrete, materialistically orientated woman, who never loses sight of the financial side of life. She would therefore make a great business woman – persuasive and perspicacious, courageous and wise.

Encourage her creative streak and to make the most of her gift for communication through music, singing, theatre, literature or languages. It is important to compensate for her tendency to be fickle and spread herself too thinly by inculcating the value of order, method and discipline; she would benefit from experiencing the satisfaction of a job well done. Gunilla is endearing and… a real chatterbox.

What does she like?

As much as she enjoys the bright lights of society and the company of others, Gunilla nevertheless appreciates peace and quiet, security and stability. While she can appear sophisticated at times, she is more inclined to all that is natural, simple, sober and genuine. Security isn´t necessarily synonymous with routine, and Gunilla is a highly imaginative woman.

dragonborn_by_berseneva-d5zmd4h

One Year Blog Anniversary: Rantings of a Third Kind (2016-01-21)

Posted in Achievements, Anniversary

Rantings

“Don’t procrastinate. If you want to blog, then blog.” Fritz Chery

One Year Blog Anniversary: Rantings of a Third Kind

anniversary-2x

“Dear Reader,

A blog about everything and nothing.
Fiction, fact, poetry, odes, homages, photography.
Humour, yet some serious thoughts.
And it’s all done in the best possible taste!

Enjoy!

Gun Roswell”

 

It is one year since I wrote those words as I started the blog: Rantings Of A Third Kind. A thousand and one hundred and forty three posts later I am happily celebrating my one year anniversary for this blog.

Thank you all my followers and readers for the continued support and interest in “everything and nothing” as the blog tag line suggests. “It’s all done in the best possible taste” and hoping to continue along the same line!

Keep calm and keep reading Rantings!

 

In honour of today and the anniversary, I am reposting my first ever blog post:

Let the rantings begin!/A quick trip to the supermarket

 

complainlesswritemore1    suspicious-character-hitchcock   standard