Today

CB · Jan 15, 2023

I've been away for sometimes.

@CountMike
Mike. I'm sorry for the loss. Hang on there. Allow yourself to grieve for sometime as needed. It's the best way to the acceptance stage.
I was a nurse for 40 years. I had been a witness, and to serve many dying process of my patients and always feel how to lose the loved ones.
I'm now retired. My last service was in December 2020

@Winuser
Hope your wife get well soon. Don't tease her with bubble wraps. But you can spare her a pair of wrist braces if needed.

Kari · Jan 17, 2023

Back in my native Finland, in Lapland where I come from, sun was today seen first time in couple of months. Sunrise at 11:50, sunset at 12:53. Times in civilized 24 hour format, Americans must add "AM" to sunrise time and "PM" to sunset time. Daylength just over an hour, exactly 1:03:07.

Screenshot from Sunrise and sunset times in Utsjoki

Click to enlarge

Kari

kado897 · Jan 17, 2023

Kari said:
Back in my native Finland, in Lapland where I come from, sun was today seen first time in couple of months. Sunrise at 11:50, sunset at 12:53. Times in civilized 24 hour format, Americans must add "AM" to sunrise time and "PM" to sunset time. Daylength just over an hour, exactly 1:03:07.

Screenshot from Sunrise and sunset times in Utsjoki

View attachment 50160

Click to enlarge

Kari

I don't think I could deal with that Kari.

Kari · Jan 17, 2023

kado897 said:
I don't think I could deal with that Kari.

You get used to it. Two months no sun, a polar night, in winter, two months of 24-hour a day sun in summer.

Old and bad joke from Lapland:

Police is questioning someone regarding a robbery: "Where were you the night between November 29th and January 11th?".

kado897 · Jan 17, 2023

Kari said:
You get used to it. Two months no sun, a polar night, in winter, two months of 24-hour a day sun in summer.

Old and bad joke from Lapland:

Police is questioning someone regarding a robbery: "Where were you the night between November 29th and January 11th?".

CountMike · Jan 17, 2023

Kari said:
Back in my native Finland, in Lapland where I come from, sun was today seen first time in couple of months. Sunrise at 11:50, sunset at 12:53. Times in civilized 24 hour format, Americans must add "AM" to sunrise time and "PM" to sunset time. Daylength just over an hour, exactly 1:03:07.

Screenshot from Sunrise and sunset times in Utsjoki

View attachment 50160

Click to enlarge

Kari

So it's good night now and good morning in 3 months ?

johnlgalt · Jan 17, 2023

Kari said:
Americans must add "AM" to sunrise time and "PM" to sunset time. Daylength just over an hour, exactly 1:03:07.

Lol not all Americans. I use 24 hour time format on every device that allows me to choose it (and I tend to not buy devices that do not allow it lol).

Glad you're home safe, my friend. At least from here the days only get longer for several months, eh?

Kari · Jan 17, 2023

This happened already on Friday, not today. When I was going to post this late Friday night, I noticed that a fellow member had posted about his wife's accident, another about his brother having died. I didn't see posting this the same day appropriate.

So, not today but on Friday.

The doorbell rang in afternoon. My moving is still quite difficult due recent stroke, but luckily physiotherapist had just arrived for my appointment. She went to the door, and came back to living room carrying a small box. She told there was no one in the hallway, only the box next to my door. She also told, that the box was not there when she arrived only a few minutes earlier.

The box was clearly delivered by a private person. No courier labels, no sender name, only my name handwritten on it, with text "For your name day on Wednesday, sorry about late delivery".

I do not know if you geeks know the name days in your respective countries. For me, it has always been more important than my birthday; birthday is / was a totally random day, but name day is to celebrate the name my parents chose to me. Extract from Finnish name day calendar:

(Nimipäivä kalenteri tammikuu = name day calendar January).

In the box, I found a bottle of Oban 14 year single malt whisky, and two bottles of Finnish Espresso flavoured vodka. Nothing else. I don't complain, this was absolutely the best anonymous present ever!

The thing is, I cannot recall ever telling about my name day to any of my neighbours or local, German friends. Only people knowing about it are my ex-wife, but we have no contact, and maybe a few fellow members of my local Scandinavian expat group. In addition, the main door to building is always locked. My physiotherapist, speech therapist and meals on wheels have their keys, all counted for, no other keys as far as I know.

Anyway, as I mentioned, I do not complain!

Kari

kado897 · Jan 17, 2023

Kari said:
This happened already on Friday, not today. When I was going to post this late Friday night, I noticed that a fellow member had posted about his wife's accident, another about his brother having died. I didn't see posting this the same day appropriate.

So, not today but on Friday.

The doorbell rang in afternoon. My moving is still quite difficult due recent stroke, but luckily physiotherapist had just arrived for my appointment. She went to the door, and came back to living room carrying a small box. She told there was no one in the hallway, only the box next to my door. She also told, that the box was not there when she arrived only a few minutes earlier.

The box was clearly delivered by a private person. No courier labels, no sender name, only my name handwritten on it, with text "For your name day on Wednesday, sorry about late delivery".

I do not know if you geeks know the name days in your respective countries. For me, it has always been more important than my birthday; birthday is / was a totally random day, but name day is to celebrate the name my parents chose to me. Extract from Finnish name day calendar:

View attachment 50176

(Nimipäivä kalenteri tammikuu = name day calendar January).

In the box, I found a bottle of Oban 14 year single malt whisky, and two bottles of Finnish Espresso flavoured vodka. Nothing else. I don't complain, this was absolutely the best anonymous present ever!

View attachment 50177

The thing is, I cannot recall ever telling about my name day to any of my neighbours or local, German friends. Only people knowing about it are my ex-wife, but we have no contact, and maybe a few fellow members of my local Scandinavian expat group. In addition, the main door to building is always locked. My physiotherapist, speech therapist and meals on wheels have their keys, all counted for, no other keys as far as I know.

Anyway, as I mentioned, I do not complain!

Kari

We don't have anything like a name day in the UK sounds a good thing.

Kari · Jan 17, 2023

kado897 said:
We don't have anything like a name day in the UK sounds a good thing.

Name day - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

kado897 · Jan 17, 2023

Kari said:
Name day - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That's interesting Kari. They seem to be quite widespread around Europe.

CountMike · Jan 17, 2023

It's all but lost these days but it had/has some significance. One is (semi)religious, If your name is same or based on some saint, than your name day is the day of that saint. If your first name isn't derived from a saint than family name is used.
In my case for instance, my real first name means "Loved or loving one" so may name day is on the day of St Luke/Lukato which ".....ić is added to make it family (surname). If name is of Celtic origin than it's usually derived from a Celtic god.
For instance, my late friend's first name was Dejan meaning "De "from/by" and "Jan". Celtic god of forests so his name day would be the day Jan is/was warshiped.
Whatever the origin it used to be like some second birthday.

cereberus · Jan 18, 2023

I thought yeah I should use a nameday as my birthday is too close to Xmas and nobody is ever interested in celebrating it.

However St Martin's day is 11th November which has a major significance in UK as Remembrance Day, so that ain't gonna work either.

So, I am just going to have to change my first name to Patrick and celebrate with lots of Guinness LOL.

PerpetualCycle · Jan 18, 2023

My birthday is on Saint Patrick's Day, but my name is Ukranian and not based on any Saint.

johnlgalt · Jan 19, 2023

Lol - My birthday is 2 days before St. Patrick's, aka The Ides of March - and I don't think we have name day observance in our culture, but I have to check to make sure - we may and it is just not held nearly as important as actual birthdays.

It would be interesting to see when I was named, though, as I'm pretty sure my parents had already decided my name long before my actual birth.

Winuser · Jan 19, 2023

Kari said:
Daylength just over an hour, exactly 1:03:07.

I don't know if I could handle having just an hour of daylight. I don't even like the short winter daylight hours we have here in the US.

Winuser · Jan 19, 2023

Kari said:
You get used to it. Two months no sun, a polar night, in winter, two months of 24-hour a day sun in summer.

Old and bad joke from Lapland:

Police is questioning someone regarding a robbery: "Where were you the night between November 29th and January 11th?".

Does the lack of sunlight cause a lot of depression? In the US during the Winter, the number of cases of depression goes up. Some refer to it as the winter blues.

Winuser · Jan 19, 2023

Kari said:
I do not know if you geeks know the name days in your respective countries.

This is the first time I ever heard of name day.

kado897 · Jan 19, 2023

Winuser said:
Does the lack of sunlight cause a lot of depression? In the US during the Winter, the number of cases of depression goes up. Some refer to it as the winter blues.

Yep it's called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Winuser · Jan 19, 2023

johnlgalt said:
Lol - My birthday is 2 days before St. Patrick's, aka The Ides of March - and I don't think we have name day observance in our culture, but I have to check to make sure - we may and it is just not held nearly as important as actual birthdays.

It would be interesting to see when I was named, though, as I'm pretty sure my parents had already decided my name long before my actual birth.

My son was named the day he was born. My wife wanted to name him after me and I didn't. I kept coming up with names I like but she didn't like any of them. On the day he was born, my wife had to be rushed to the ICU. Because I didn't know if shew was going to recover, I decided to respect her wish and named our son after me.