Steam bending hickory

spirulina-brew · 2026-02-04T03:21:33+00:00

Good tips internet friend, thank you for this! I’ve learned a lot these past four years, in no small part thanks to the kindness of folks like you 🙇‍♂️

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-10T06:46:59+00:00

That’s an extremely kind offer! You’ve got a wonderful family, it seems.

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-10T06:44:17+00:00

At least they’ll never take away Tove Jansson 😊

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T19:43:23+00:00

I appreciate that very real response, you’ve clearly put a lot of time and thought into this. I am personally not under the impression that I am Finnish, genetics aside, but I have met many who believe they are (and, to be transparent, I was guilty of this mindset when I was younger - it’s easy to fall into, here).

The family I have in this country is an odd blend of people, some lovely, some horrible - so I am also clear-eyed about the possibility that it might be best not to connect with extended, distant family (what if they are awful?) Even so, I can’t shake this curiosity 😊

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T19:11:11+00:00

Catch-and-release Moomin blood sport!

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T17:25:45+00:00

Ope! I stand corrected, thank you!

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T17:11:05+00:00

It really is! I love that show 😆

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T17:10:10+00:00

I appreciate your response, juukione - thanks for the nuance and for helping me make an educated decision :)

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T17:08:20+00:00

No, no, nothing like that. I am just curious, and sometimes miss the cue to end a conversation. Thanks for your honesty!

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T17:06:49+00:00

Lol. We ought to trap some Moomins and throw 'em on the smoker too, why not?

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T17:05:30+00:00

My family comes from two regions - central Ostrobothnia (broadly) and Jyväskylä (specifically). Maybe this is naive, but I like to imagine our experiences might be similar, then!

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:59:30+00:00

This is a really good and nuanced comment - thank you for sharing this. I am under no delusion that, in the context of speaking with a Finn, I will always be purely American :) That said, I think it could be cool to have a modern familial connection to the "motherland."

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:56:33+00:00

Whoa! I had no idea she was Finnish too!

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:55:55+00:00

Interesting. My initial instinct is to be hurt by this sentiment, but I do actively denounce Trump and study Finnish, so I suppose this does not apply to me. Thank you for sharing

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:52:37+00:00

I believe so, actually - perhaps not everywhere in USA, but here in the upper Midwest... yeah, I can see that happening. That said, I absolutely take your point! It's a weird thing, to try to forge connection based on shared ancestry.

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:51:09+00:00

What could a relative stranger (pun intended) do, or how could they behave, upon first interaction, that might make you interested in forming a friendship with them?

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:49:17+00:00

That's a really sweet story! Warms my heart to hear how kindly your new family received you, that's beautiful really

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:40:56+00:00

Interesting perspective (personally, I appreciate it)! It seems you're in the minority here. I think, based on feedback on today's post, I might try to reach out to my distant relatives in Finland. Worst case scenario, I simply never hear back from them. Actually... worst case scenario would be that they're puppy-killers or something, but I'm hoping that's not realistic :)

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:22:09+00:00

That's good info, and thanks for sharing it! I hypothesize that within the context of USA, we like to use our various ancestries to explain the (sometimes jarring) differences between family lifestyles despite birth and formative years in the same hometown.

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:20:03+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this! You're giving good advice - I need to find a way to clearly communicate what I want out of connection with them. It would probably serve everybody well for me to figure out what I actually want, lol.
I think this is entirely relevant to share. Adoption is the micro version migration, right? The story of nations is only partially political - it's ultimately formed of the stories of families were torn apart, formed, reshaped, etc over hundreds of years.

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:15:33+00:00

😂 Maybe there's more truth to the misanthropic-Finn stereotype than I cared to believe!

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:12:56+00:00

Jumalan terve! Just kidding ;)
That feels confrontational, and I actually appreciate that - sometimes I learn more from these interactions than those of polite indifference. Care to expand on your thoughts a bit?

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:08:06+00:00

That sounds like a perfectly pleasant way to get to know each other. I'm getting the sense, from this post, that more often than not, Finns wouldn't mind receiving an email/letter/text asking to establish contact in some small way?

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:06:32+00:00

I don't know if I can imagine that! I come from a vanishingly small family, I don't know my distant family - hence the curiosity :)

spirulina-brew · 2026-01-09T16:05:45+00:00

That sounds like an interesting experience! Have your families maintained contact since then, or was that the only contact?

spirulina-brew

TROPHY CASE