sun and snow and some listed things

I look like such a round-faced lil' gremlin but that's what winter does to you.

How happy does wee rays of sunlight make you in late winter spring? Even rain is making me happy since it's helping the snow to melt. I am still okay with there being absolute hills of snow but the fact that roads are starting to be clear is definitely grin-worthy as well. Since I'm talking about things that are making me happy at the moment (and in an effort not to talk merely about the weather) here's a list of happy things:

1. Longer and lighter days. (The sun shines directly to my bed in the mornings which does force me to get up earlier most days, ha!)

2. Less snow. But still enough snow for me to continue ice skating and skiing for a while!

3. The first two reasons combined together resulting into nearly no coat weather. Honestly I'll probably still be in my winter coats in May because I'm not fool enough to go without when there's half a metre of snow left anymore, but yesterday it was almost +15°C in the sun! (I do love to talk about the weather, don't I..)

4. It's almost Easter! I love Easter, it's my favourite holiday. I was going to go to Helsinki, but am leaning towards the option of staying home alone and going to Hki in the summer:-)

5. Re: Easter, I'm almost done with my lent and am looking forward to all the Easter chocolate and other treats. My snack stash is looking pretty hefty already!

6. It's Palm Sunday this week and since I've not been in Finland for so long I'm excited for all the traditions:-) As far as I know (after checking on Wikipedia) it's not a thing elsewhere, and this is what happens: "In Finland, it is popular for children to dress up as Easter witches and go door to door in neighborhoods for coins and candy. This is an old Karelian custom called Virpominen." It's kind of like trick or treating but during Easter and the children give you a decorated pussy willow branch in return. (My branches used to be freaking amazing back in the day, let me tell you.) So I've bought sweets for the neighbourhood children and hope someone will turn up. If not, all the more sweets for me!

7. I'm going to be working for at least a month starting next week!

8. There's definitely not any flowers starting to bloom outside, but my own wee plants are coming along nicely and growing every day. I'm such a grandma with my gardening but I do love it. And scientifically, digging your fingers into some dirt does release some endorphins and makes you happier.

9. I was advised to start keeping a headache diary again before going to my migraine control appointment (both of which I've not done in years, haha..) and this might not seem like a big deal, but for two weeks so far I've not had migraines and no above average headaches. And it's spring which is usually the worst for me, so that's been a really great thing!

10. Another big deal that maybe doesn't sound like it; I've kept on exercising and drinking water.

11. I might have bought some new fabric even though I have loads that I've not used yet. AND I have loads of sewing projects planned!

12. There's a campaign in a Finnish supermarket that lets you buy some Moomin mugs for half the price, so I'm super excited about getting new ones! I may have thirty already, but gotta catch 'em all! (Also, have you seen the new Too-Ticky and the Ancestor mugs? So bloody pretty.)

What're some happy things in your life right now?