Happiness Is Only Real When Shared
Hello everyone! As you’ve come to expect, I am penning another blog (thing?) about my adventures in Finland! I am going to break it up into separate parts, the last one being an actual write up of the last show of Johanna Kurkela’s “Joulun Lauluja” tour in Lappeenranta!
Photo by Joanne Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
When a little bird (unrelated to anyone performing) told me that there would be Johanna Yuletide shows, way back in like… March… I didn’t actually believe it. Though, there was a little part in my heart that hoped on everything that it was true. Some things just belong together: peanut butter and jelly, Moomin and Snufkin, and Johanna and Christmas music. Her two Yuletide albums are stellar, and I admit that I listen to them on the regular, regardless of season.
Also, it symbolized a certain acceptance of a post-lockdown life. She’d said previously that solo work was not something she really wanted to do anymore, so instead she took a solo album and made it collaborative. I’ll go into (much more) detail later, but I can tell you without a doubt, that these shows were life changing, soul altering, and an amazing end to a year of adventure.
I had just gotten back from the Netherlands, where I had seen Delain and Altamullan Road together, when I got a notification that Johanna had posted a very pretty picture about a concert in Oulu. I knew that these would sell out fast, as there are a few things Finland loves: the snow, sauna, Moomin, and Johanna Kurkela. (I still have a dream that she will perform in some capacity at Muumimaailma [moomin world]). So I jumped on that the (literal) minute it came out and bought two tickets at 1 a.m. The timing of the show wasn’t great—it was Thanksgiving in the United States and going to Finland was going to be pretty pricy, considering I was also launching a book and trying to survive with the looming US election ahead. But, it’s always worth it—coming out of her shows feels like a warm touch to the soul and whenever I get a chance to talk to Johanna herself, I feel like I have renewed motivation to live my life to the fullest and keep my heart open. It’s hard to explain, but I can try!
As time progressed, she announced more shows. I desperately wanted to be at the Kitee one as a birthday treat to myself, but decided that early December worked better for my schedule and resigned to going to the last few. So I gave away my ticket to Oulu and realized that Porvoo wasn’t going to work either, so I gave that away too! Now, you can judge me all you want for going to four… I don’t care. I’m not flying upwards of 15 hours both ways, just to see one show. Plus, I made it into a holiday of sorts by sharing the adventure with over TWENTY people. There have been times in my life when I struggled to have two friends at all… so twenty is just something that blows my mind. I spent my time with a core group of people, but I had no idea how big we were as a group, until we took up the front two or three rows at the shows.
When I solidified that I was going, I realized that I had a lot of hard work to do. I had about three months to conjure about a thousand dollars to do all the things I wanted to do in Finland! So, I asked for as many hours as I could at work and got to grinding! Nevermind that I still needed to finish writing the book I am going to release!
If you read any of my previous blogs about travel, you’ll know that my prior travel process for Finland and the Netherlands were vastly different. In January when I went to Finland, I did the majority of the travel alone and stayed for ten days with a carry-on. The Netherlands was about the same, only I didn’t stay too long, which was perfect. This time, I would be gone a week, but with a day to arrive on either side. So, in all I spent about five total days in Finland, which seemed to work out perfectly.
What I didn’t plan very well, was launching a book while doing all of this. Unfortunately, that led to me having a pretty nasty burnout mid-September. I rectified it quickly, but I realized that I had been working too much (with my full time job and my book it was about 110 hours a week), and time was going too quickly to catch up. In January, I had time to plan and dream about what could happen. This time, I barely packed on time and managed to finish right before I left.
My flights were suspiciously easy. I’m lucky to live 10 minutes from the Moline airport, which is a dinky little place but it works just fine. Customs was easy, as was TSA. I arrived on time with no complaints. On my long flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, one of my seat buddies was from the border of Sweden and Finland and she taught me Swedish on my way over!
Kathy, Nika, Ceci
I arrived to my sweet friends Nika and Ceci who had gifts and hugs aplenty. I had met Nika in January while she held the cutest Altamullan Toads sign, and Ceci in Dordrecht when I arrived in the Netherlands! It was nice to catch up with them as we walked to the necessary bus stop. My checked bag was very heavy with presents for everyone, but I didn’t mind carrying it.
I slept on a little cot made by Nika and we talked about what had happened since we’d last met and exchanged some cute presents. She gave me the most hilarious card and some cookies and I brought some coffee and bracelets that I had made. When she left for work the next morning, I pulled out all my supplies and started puting together the Christmas presents that I had brought for the performers. I don’t really want to go into too many details, but I think the most well-received present was Troy [Donockley] and his peanut butter cups. I’m still laughing about that.
Lunch at Chico’s; Bear dressed for the occasion in an Altamullan Road shirt
My friend Bear came to pick me up at the apartment and we got some cozy lunch before picking up the photographer that would be assisting her with the interview and then heading to the church in Vantaa. I was lucky enough to sit in on the interview, so I decided to bring the presents along so I didn’t bog the trio down after the show… and because I had a special one for Johanna that I wanted to hand over without a spectacle.
The interview, which you will see on December 20th, was hysterical and I laughed super hard. It was nice to meet Troy for the first time and introduce myself to him. Timo and Johanna were excited to see me again, which was nice. Tuomas [Holopainen] was also there, but I didn’t say anything to him. I have avoided saying hello to him each time I’ve seen him at Altamullan Road shows too, as I’m a huge believer in first impressions. If you’re given the chance to plan a first impression, do it and and do it respectfully. I would rather be patient and wait for a good moment than have a rushed interaction at a bad time.
Now during these interviews, I stay out of the way, so I didn’t do anything but film as a backup. They were clearly pressed for time (their soundcheck started right as we ended), so afterwards Bear took me to my hotel, where we were able to check in. When the entire group arrived, I realized that there were already so many people traveling with us that coordinating a trip together would be tough. Bear was kind enough to play taxi to us and drove us back to the church to start queuing at like 5 p.m.
[Ed: “loppuunmyyty” means “sold out”!]
Now, Finland is cold, yes, but it’s the wind that’s brutal. I had forgotten my gloves, so by the time we got inside, my hands wouldn’t work! We realized that half of the pews were reserved on one side, so we sat as close as we could and had the time of our lives. We had heard that barely anyone clapped in previous shows, and that was not something any of us were happy about. So, we made a pact that after every song, we would clap, and that after every show we would give them a standing ovation. I mean, it only seems respectful, right? They deserve it!
Now, I won’t spoil anything just yet, but we had quite a bit of fun. I noticed that there were two songs where she asked the crowd to sing along. I kind of knew “Maa on niin kaunis” a bit, just from listening. But, not enough to sing along. “Jouluyö, juhlayö” was the second one and, while I knew it in German and English, Finnish is hard. But, I saw how emotional she got hearing everyone sing, so I was determined to memorize it as fast as I could to try to add my voice to the crowd.
After the show, I was able to snag Johanna for a short time and explained as few things, including the burnout I had experienced. What made it extra special was that earlier that day, I had given her a final draft copy of my book. There’s a point in writing when you order a paper copy to look for typos and formatting errors. So, I took that version and took off the cover and replaced it with a custom one.
“Aphrodite Rising” rebinding
I like showing people that I appreciate their hard work, so I try to match their hard work with my own. I know that I’m appreciated by everyone associated with the show, so of course I’m going to do what I can.
I also got quick chat with Timo before we left. He really is a gem—I spent half of the show watching how he looks at his sister while she performs and it was so wholesome. That whole trio just is so full of love that its impossible to ignore.
After the show, our group all walked back to the hotel, which was only a short distance away. When we arrived, we impulsively made snow angels and made a sad looking snowman. But hey, he’s got character!
After drying off and warming up, we met in the lobby of the hotel and sat in a reception area while we unboxed all the treats we had brought for each other. Soon, the table was filled with candies and chocolates while we all chit-chatted about our feelings about the concert. I showed the group a snippet of a video from 2012 where Johanna had said “Jihuu!” [yeehoo] and it was so cute that we spent the rest of the trip quoting that! At midnight, I video-called two people who couldn’t make it and together we all sang our friend Melanie “Happy Birthday”! I genuinely had so much fun, but I was tired and desperately needed a shower. So, I went to bed early and fell asleep before I could even plug in my phone.
Breakfast the next morning was heartwarming and delicious as we all stumbled in after processing the night before. We took a taxi to the train station, where we headed to Turku to get settled.
Turku was very fun! We unloaded our stuff and braved the extremely warm hotel rooms before meeting up again to eat before the second show. I had a friend coming to meet me, and I was super excited to add someone to our little cheering squad. We snagged a very nice dinner and warm glögi before heading for the church.
We lined up at about 5 p.m. again and we decided to try to aim for the front rows if we could. I met up with my friend Saara, who we gently added to our spot in line. She immediately told us all kinds of history about Turku, which was so cool. When the doors opened, we were able to get our front row seats and had a very fun time again.
After the show, I was able to get a minute or two with Johanna again and explained why the song “When You Wish Upon a Star” was so dear to me. I knew that after I told her the story, I wouldn’t be able to hear it again without breaking down. But, everyone’s used to me crying at this point, right? Troy made it a point to come chat our group up, and when it came time for my friend Melanie to get her group photo, I excitedly told everyone that it was her birthday! So, because Johanna is the kindest and most thoughtful person I know, she began to sing “Happy Birthday” to her! I know how much that meant to her. It was beautiful to watch!
After the show, we headed to a small nerdy bar in Turku that had a really cool sci-fi/geek theme. I’ll definitely be back! I got a little tipsy talking to my friends and we ended the night walking home (a little more like stumbling, but nothing too dramatic!). The next morning, two of the people in our party headed to Tampere early to see a different show, but three of us stayed behind. We said goodbye to our new friend Franca, who I had quickly become friends with as soon as we met. We also kept each other hysterically laughing, which was a plus. My friend Jaro joined us for a hotel breakfast, where we watched our older Altamullan Road concert videos and got emotional over them as well.
The tiredest of folks
Jaro and I spent the afternoon looking around Turku while we waited for our bus. My friend Sanna and her friend Ilona showed up. Sanna gifted me a belated birthday present she’d been holding on to. I knew it was going to be two CDs that I was missing from my Johanna collection, but what I didn’t realize was that she snuck them to Kitee earlier in the tour and got one signed for my birthday. I swear I was so moved by the whole thing, that I was quiet the whole rest of the Tampere trip because I was trying not to cry.
Thoughtful gifts are so meaningful
When we all met up at the bus station in Tampere, I realized that Bear had gone to the airport to pick up more people who would join us. I also rejoined with two friends at the bus station, which meant there were about ten or so of us ready to go to the show. That, plus some people I met AT the show, meant that afterwards our group was about fifteen people, which was huge! I was told that our trains for the next day had changed, so I scrambled to rebook and thankfully it went well and worked out even better in the end.
I got lost in an elevator (it’s a very silly story) trying to get out of the hotel and subsequently made us a bit late, but we still managed to be the first ones in line again. Some people in our party recognized others that were in the line, which was neat! I feel like whenever I travel to Europe, my friends list grows exponentially. The show was great, per usual! I definitely cried most of the way through it and felt confident enough to at least try to sing the songs she requested.
The crowd that stayed behind to say hello to the performers at Tampere was pretty large, so I didn’t expect to say anything to anyone. One of the friends that I had just met asked me to stand with her to meet Johanna as a sort of moral support, which I agreed to. Security had told Johanna that she needed to go, which was very understandable, given the fact that she’d stayed behind at every show to meet people and get photos and such. I was a little put off by the people who didn’t respect her time and asked her to stay longer when they were clearly needing to leave, but that’s just my personal opinion, of course!
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
Our group split into a few different pieces and took off. I ended up getting overwhelmed at the bar we went to, so I headed to the hotel after saying goodbye to the friends who were only in town for one show. I don’t know if it was the emotional shows, the dehyrdration, or the fact that I couldn’t remember my next plans for the life of me, but I had kind of a bad night and decided to just sleep it off. Which was exactly what I needed!
The next morning started quietly, thankfully. We got to the train station and decided to get some flowers for Johanna’s last show, along with some cards. When someone asked what we should put in them, I suggested the quote, “Happiness is only real when shared,” which is a line from Into the Wild, a film based on the book of the same name. I found the quote increasingly accurate as I navigated the adventures with a group. Funny enough, Altamullan Road had covered a song from that film earlier in the year, so that seemed to tie it together nicely.
When we signed the cards, we indicated where we were from to show the trio how far and wide we had come from to enjoy the shows. The magic of music holds no boundaries.
Lappeenranta was beautiful. Our hotel was gorgeous and we got upgraded as soon as we arrived. We were in town pretty early, so we set out to get food and explore a bit. The church was gorgeous and so was the area outside of it. We spent at least an hour just wandering the trees and looking at how pretty everything seemed. The flower shop worker was very kind in helping us pick out twenty flowers that we would give to Johanna after the show. We found a restaurant in a shopping mall and ended up back in our hotel rooms after a bit. We decided to hide all of the flowers and cards until the end of the show, when we would hand them over.
We met back up with Bear, who had a car full of people again! This time we lined up at 5 p.m., and ended up being the first in line again. When the doors opened, I realized that we were all in the first three rows on each side! That was so cool to see. I nicknamed us the “International Cheering Squad” and we sure lived up to the title.
The concert began with “Enkeli Taivaan - Finlandia,” which is gorgeous. I have heard Troy’s version of it on Spotify, but hearing it live was absolutely euphoric. Watching Timo and Johanna bow their heads respectfully while it played was moving and hearing them vocalize with Troy’s pipes was enough to bring a tear to the eye of everyone in the audience a mere minute or two in.
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
The second song was “Oi Joulunajan Ihmiset,” which is an Irish carol translated into Finnish. I love the album version, which features Marko Hietala! The live version was also splendid. This is also where I mention how beautiful the lighting was. Space Zoo, who also did the lighting for Altamullan Road, really shone (hehe) during the shows. I was constantly amazed by the subtle but intricate designs displayed while the music played. I also want to mention that I watched them tear down the lights four times and that they worked so, so hard to take them down. Same with the sound, which was done by Tero Kinnunen, another familiar face amongst the crowd. It might sound silly, but when I see Tero doing sound for a concert, I know it’s going to be great!
Along with the light stands, there were plenty of lanterns around the stage, which fit quite nicely with the theme of the next song, “Lyhty” [lantern]. The theme of our holiday in Finland was pointing out lanterns everywhere we went, so to see the ornately decorated ones on the stage was really cool. I loved the small details and debated about jokingly asking if I could buy one when the show was over. (How on Earth would I fit that into my already stuffed luggage?!)
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
Now, each time Johanna sang “Lyhty,” she had clearly gotten emotional. I swear she’s the queen of tearing up but not crying on stage. As the shows came closer and closer to an end, she got even more emotional. That’s what sent me over the edge: when she cries, I cry. It’s a thing, and it happens every time! This song is particularly dear to a lot of people and I almost want to say it’s a distant cousin to “Lanternlight” from the new Nightwish album. Both have themes of homecoming and finding your way in the dark. It also reminds me of The Last of Us and the fireflies’ saying, “When you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light.” Regardless, it was a very emotional experience and I had a particular bout of fun, because I had learned it in Finnish a while back. It feels good to sing along (silently!) with someone to show that you took the time to digest it and listen to the lyrics.
It was at this point when Johanna made some lovely statements. Though I caught the general gist of it, my Finnish is objectively that of a very young child, so I really relied on my friends to summarize it for me. “In The Bleak Midwinter” came next, which made my heart warm. I was a girl scout as a young girl and we went caroling often each winter to sing classic songs like this one. I have no emotional ties to it other than nostalgia, but it was still was so pristinely beautiful, that I found myself in a very content state of bliss.
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” was next up! Another nostalgic one for me, I really started to understand why the whole tour was done specifically in churches. I am not religious at all, but even I felt a sense of respect amongst everyone there. What was happening was something profound and important and we all were a part of it. I love, LOVE, hearing all of them sing together and it gave me the chills every time!
“Gaudete” was something I had never heard of before, but I really enjoyed it. I really loved the harmonies and how well everyone’s voices blended together. According to Johanna’s social media post, the arrangements were done by all three of them, which explains why it all felt so seamless. Singing in Latin, Johanna’s voice was sharp and bright, and the smiles on their faces were contagious! After that, Johanna had a brief speech again, to which I am sadly oblivious [ed: she was telling about how this was a beloved grandfather’s favorite Christmas song], but I did hear her tell everyone to sing again. Now, I had sent the screenshot of the lyrics to some people and had been practicing myself, so I finally felt comfortable singing along to “Maa on niin kaunis.” It’s really a wonderful song and watching the Finnish natives really put their heart into singing along was wonderful and awe-inspiring.
Then we had another speech. I kind of wish I knew what this one meant, because “When You Wish Upon a Star” is one of my favorite songs of all time. Until last week, I would have argued that Julie Andrews has the best version, but this experience changed that. This final time, Johanna caught me bawling in the beginning and gave me a very quick but reassuring nod. It was definitely needed in a very vulnerable time for me. Johanna then added a bit of violin, of which I am always a fan. It adds a certain quality to the other two’s instruments that’s a bit hard to explain other than that it just sounds right.
Then, in the same song, came a cover of “Somewhere in my Memory,” which is a song from the film Home Alone. I’ve never considered that it was super emotional other than in that context. But from the very pointed glances during “Special people, happy faces,” to the cheering squad on the other side of the aisle and her very obvious emotion during the song, I genuinely have come to love it on a super deep level. It reminds me of how family can come from everywhere and its absolutely wonderful when they can gather together.
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
Next up was “One Toy Soldier,” which I was surpised to hear! It’s an Enya song! And sorry Enya… Johanna really nailed this one. Both versions are wonderful, but Johanna has that wondrous youthful sparkle that just adds whimsy to every song she sings. Also it was so catchy, that I kept singing it to myself over and over as we traveled across Finland!
“Three Ships” followed! It was cool to hear them singing over each other. It was also neat to see Troy put his pipes together super quickly. It was nice to hear each of the trio sing their separate parts and I’m always fascinated by harmonization. I will say, Troy really went full-send on his playing. I actually kept smiling and laughing at how animated he was while playing. I know it was the “last show” antics, so it actually helped lighten everyone’s mood after such emotional music.
Then came “Kotiin.” Now, I’ve been a fan of this song since I first heard it a few years ago. I would call it my favorite song on Johanna’s Christmas album. I also noticed that this song has her as a writing credit, which makes me very curious, based on the year in which it originally came out, but I never had the opportunity to ask about it. Troy also sang in Finnish, which is hard! I asked him how he did it and he said that he listened to what Johanna sang and wrote it out phonetically, which worked well for him. I will say the lyrics feature the quote, “On onni todellista vasta kun jakaa sen,” which translates to, “Happiness is only real when shared.” Which, if you haven’t figured out, is the theme of this whole tour/song/life. Remember that from the beginning?
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
The next song after a short Finnish speech [ed: mentioning how important her “bear brother” is to her], was “Karhuveljeni” [my bear brother], which I knew was from her Christmas album, but never really paid too much attention. That was a really heart warming dedication to brothers and while I don’t have any, I still found the lyrics to be charming and heartwarming nonetheless. Also the buildup in this song is stellar. I know Bear had a much stronger reaction to it, so you’ll probably have a better explanation from her.
Then Troy told us about the next song, “Personent Hodie,” which was actually from a Finnish songbook in 1582, though most people think of it as an old medieval Latin carol. That bit of history was quite nice, and a fun way to tie the roots of the song together. I never thought I would hear Johanna sing that type of music, but it was gorgeous! The end of it left me with chills and the whole place erupted in a huge applause afterward.
After that came “Ilta saapuikin niin äkkiä,” which I was delighted to hear on the setlist. It’s a track from her album “Hyvästi, Dolores Haze,” which is probably her most popular album, for a reason—it’s got some really good songs on it. I really want to know why it’s on the setlist, but I assume it’s because of the pipes on it. I know Troy already added his touch to that whole album, so it makes sense to play it live. It’s a bit melancholic, but that’s Finland’s Christmas music in a nutshell. Regardless, it was really neat to hear it live. As someone who came to be a Johanna fan very late in comparison to many others, it’s quite nice to hear these older songs with her current spin on them.
Next we got a short speech about keeping our loved ones close especially this time of year. A Finnish person could probably tell you better, but that’s about what I took from it. This was followed by “Prinsessalle,” which is one that hits you right in the gut. I already knew every Finnish person was going to break down to that song. It’s a song about death, though it’s on her Christmas album. Fun fact: there is a heartbreaking film, Prinsessa, that the song is featured in. There were a few people in my group dealing with the loss of loved ones and that song really was an experience for them. As someone who had said a final goodbye to too many people this year, I was rendered pretty speechless each time I saw it. I could tell Johanna herself was affected extra heavily this time because her delicate singing of tapered off into a few breathy whispers.
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
And then we ended with “Jouluyö, juhlayö” [Silent Night], which was breathtaking each time I heard it. There is a certain inner peace that you fall into when there is group of people just singing. Not trained musicians, not performers, but just regular people adding their voices in a powerful sort of chant. I had spread the screenshot of the lyrics to some of the others in the group and was really excited to see some of them singing. Right before it was over, we sneakily handed out the flowers to each other, so when the last standing ovation happened, we clapped with them in our hands.
That ovation lasted longer than any show I have ever seen, and I’ve seen quite a few. I’m thinking at least 2 minutes straight. The looks the performers gave each other was worth every second. I could tell they were moved so very much by the respect. Each with glistening eyes, they made their way off the stage with a silent thanks and disappeared into the back.
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
Most of the crowd left at that point, still too stunned to speak. I tried to get out of the way and let others line up to chit-chat with the performers when they came out. I was lucky to have my time with them already and I only had a very simple request for Johanna, should she have the time.
The staff really pushed for people to leave, so I rushed my thank you’s and handed over my flower with no fanfare. I thanked Johanna for being the bookends to the best year of my life—I started by seeing her in January 2024 and ended with seeing her again. My simple request was if she could write two lines down for me: “Ei, mä en pelkää sua, yksinäisyys” and “Ei, mä en väistä sua, yksinäisyys.” They are lyrics from the song “Yksinäisyys” that I adore. I’m going to put the little post it in my wallet and pull it out when I’m lonely or sad. It’s good reminder to stand up to your fears and perhaps the best things might come from it.
I spotted Tuomas and got brave enough to maybe say hello, but saw that he was already busy enough, so I decided that I could wait until Auri’s official meet ‘n’ greets to do so. Troy came out to chat with us and asked about my flight home. We assured him that we will be back to see all the Auri shows in Finland (others are seeing many more, but I can’t be gone for so long and I’m desperate to see Finland during any other season than winter). He kept up the conversation until we were ushered out into the snow by the church staff. All-in-all, it was a beautiful set of shows and my heart is so full of gratitude, I feel as if it’s going to spill out at any moment!
After the show, our huge group went to a restaurant and talked about how much fun we had over the days. I said farewell to a few faces and didn’t cry at all… until I got back to my hotel room. I still had one more day in Finland, but the emotional journey had really hit me then.
The next morning we went to our last hotel and spent the day exploring Helsinki. We hit up the Christmas market and ventured out to Espoo to see the Bodom Bar. I said goodbye to more friends and felt this heavy sorrow in my chest at leaving everyone behind. At a crisp 4 a.m. on December 10th, I left my hotel and took the metro to the airport, where I slowly made my way home. I kept crying and listening to “Kotiin” on my phone and re-watching the videos my friends had sent me. Is it possible to miss people you only just left?
When I landed, I could do nothing but sleep. I was exhausted but filled with so much joy. I know I will see these performers and friends in August, but that’s so far away… and I miss them dearly.
I feel as if I now have two homes: one in boring Iowa in the middle of the US, and one at Johanna’s shows. I see people, performers, and fans alike, who make me feel safe in a way that I’ve wanted to feel my entire life. I see them after months and it’s like nothing has changed at all. It’s genuinely something that happens when you go to her concerts, they’re already so full of love that you gain years to your life and walk away feeling as if you’ve been connected to something greater than a single identity. Don’t take my word for it, just ask anyone you see tagged in the photos too. Or go buy Auri tickets!
All-in-all, I had a wonderful adventure filled with joyous laughter and memorable smiles. I’ll cherish these people forever and I know they will do the same for me. In the wise words of “Somewhere in my Memory”…
Candles in the window
Shadows painting the ceiling
Gazing at the fire glow
Feeling that gingerbread feeling
Precious moments
Special people
Happy faces
I can see
Somewhere in my memory
Christmas joys all around me
Living in my memory
All of the music, all of the magic
All of the family home here with me
Photo by Joanna Orchide (@joannaorchidephoto)
