Sixteen years of marriage. ❤️ We had a plan for our anniversary: dress up a little, go out, sit in a restaurant, have a nice dinner, and properly celebrate 16 years together. But it doesn’t feel like me… or Jānis. So why do it? Instead, we ended up in the forest, hunting for chanterelles. There … More 16 Years of Marriage… and a Forest Full of Chanterelles
This is a wild animal. No one feeds it. No one pets it. No one tucks it into a cozy bed at night. And yet… I have to admit, I would absolutely love to give this adorable European hare a cuddle. 😊 Of course, I won’t. Wild animals should stay wild, and that’s exactly how … More A Wild Visitor I Always Love to See
There are times when we make sushi at home… and then there are times when I simply say: “Let’s order sushi.” Living in the countryside means food delivery is almost nonexistent here. No delivery apps, no endless restaurant choices, no late-night cravings magically appearing at our door. So whenever our local bistro announces sushi offers, … More Sushi Night
Terrible 24 hours… My breakfast this morning — couscous, pesto, tuna, and Fetaki cheese.My husband’s breakfast this morning — a hospital meal. Yes… I had to call an ambulance for Jānis last night. He is coming home at the moment I’m writing this… But not because everything is sorted out — because they HOPE it … More Not Out of the Woods Yet…
Lately, walking hasn’t been simple. My legs start to hurt, and I can’t just go . It seems that around 5000 steps a day might be my sweet spot. Not painless, but manageable. I need to get up to 10000 steps a day… But not sure when and how I would do that. This walk, … More Finding My Distance, Nature Inspired
I’ve written about coltsfoot so many springs now. About waiting for them, about picking them, about drying them carefully for tea. It has become something like a rhythm — not a strict ritual, but a familiar return. 2017: https://latvianmom.com/2017/04/21/coltsfoot-is-blooming/2018: https://latvianmom.com/2018/04/25/coltsfoot-finally/2025: https://latvianmom.com/2025/04/02/coltsfoot-the-hidden-guardian-of-spring/ But this year feels… different. I have changed. And somehow, I feel like I … More Coltsfoot hasn’t changed. I have.
Finally, the tractor arrived to collect the hay we had mowed. Here, there’s a law that hay must be properly cleared from the meadows — you can’t just mow and leave it on the ground. So it was such a joy to see the hay being gathered, dried, and then rolled into neat bales! The … More Vacation Day 19 – Hay, Zucchini, and a Busy Yard
I was out in the garden when suddenly I noticed a little bird landing in the sweet peas — only about four meters away from me. Moments like this make me so grateful for today’s phones. Of course, a camera would have been better, but there was no way the bird was going to wait … More Vacation Day 18 – A Little Visitor
I went out to the garden just to check if we had enough yellow beans for lunch, and instead I came back with a full basket of sugar peas (and a bit of beans)! The kids ate quite a lot of them fresh, and I did too. Still, I’m thinking of cooking a stew with … More Vacation Day 17 – A Basket of Peas
I went for a 5 km walk with Jānis. On the way, we spotted bees, a butterfly caterpillar, an overturned beetle, and even a little stream. Everything just feels more romantic when I’m walking with my husband. 🙂 Back at home, we’ve nearly finished eating through one of the romaine lettuce beds, but luckily two … More Vacation Day 16 – Walks and Garden Notes
We said goodbye to our guests on Sunday, but the day still had a few surprises in store. For the past two years, Jānis’s mom has had this fantastic garden bench — actually, two chairs joined together with a little table in the middle. It’s absolutely perfect for my height, weight, and heart :). While … More Vacation Day 15 – Afternoon Tea and a New Bench
I’m finally sharing the clean sofa pictures! ✨ Much better! Before: After: Yesterday was such a lovely day. Thanks to Jānis, I now have my needles, and thanks to Baiba—with her professional oil (she makes beautiful bags and purses)—both my sewing machine and serger are now ready for upcoming projects. I even ordered fabric for … More Vacation Day 5: Clean Sofa & Sewing Plans
Well… we made it… (sorry for not giving an update sooner). This is about this post: We were right in the middle of the alert zone, but the worst of it swept past us on both sides. Just a few kilometers away, people got hit with massive hailstones crashing down hard enough to dent cars … More The Storm That Almost Was
The meadowsweet has started to bloom! I can’t wait to see the whole field burst into those soft, creamy-white blossoms, glowing in the light like a dream. There’s something magical about them—how they catch the sun and seem to shimmer in the breeze. And the scent… it’s the smell of summer itself. Warm, sweet, and … More 🌿 Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) – A Scent of Summer and Sweet Relief
What a magical celebration we had! 🌿☀️ Let’s start with Linna’s Rhubarb pie, it was delicious. You can find the recipe here: Perfect Rhubarb custard pie. Yesterday we welcomed Līgo night with what might have been the biggest bonfire we’ve ever made – seriously, it was huge! Flames reaching high into the sky, sparks dancing in … More Our Līgo and Jāņi – Bonfire, Tradition, and Trout!
The scent of blooming meadows, bonfires waiting to be lit, flower crowns drying on the table, and songs quietly echoing from a speaker in the kitchen… It’s almost Jāņi, and we’re getting ready in the most traditional way we know. One of the first things on my list each year is Jāņu siers – that … More Latvian Midsummer Cheese
Roe deer near our house seems to have a sixth sense—one that specifically detects when I’m holding a camera. It’s like they’re on a mission to make sure their majestic beauty is never captured. Yesterday, I decided to outsmart them. I crept out of the house as quietly as possible, camera in hand, ready to … More Wait, Wait, Don’t Run Away!