While not perfect beach weather as it is a little cooler than hoped, it was still warm enough to get out to a lakeside for a dip. I have swam in many lakes on Finland, and they are all pretty good. this one was up there, at least for the kids. It was shallow for about 40 meters at least, so Smallsteps had a lot of room to move, without having to stick to the shoreline.
This cottage has seen better days though.
Weirdly, even though this was a bit of a drive through countryside to get to, there ended up being a lot of people turning up as the day got warmer, and the sun came from behind the trees. It was nice to see so many, and a friend of my friends turned up with his four kids, so there were even more added to the group. Smallsteps was super happy, because there was another seven year old girl, so they played for a few hours together.
Lucky girl.
I really don't know how she finds so many four-leaf clover, and this one might have been a seven-leaf one, but had lost a couple.
While it is great to spend time with our friends, it is also a bit more difficult to be a guest in someone's home, than be a guest at a hotel. Every family had different traditions and ways to do things, so it always seems like an imposition to visit people, even if it isn't.
The last time we stayed with this family was before Covid, so it has been a while. We should visit more of course, but it is that "don't want to be a bother" to anyone that really stops me from doing it more. It is funny, because I would be quite happy to have them at our place, bit going the other way feels weird.
This probably isn't uncommon.
Perhaps though I should become more willing to put people out if it means we get to spend more time together and maintain or strengthen friendships. While I will put this in a article in more depth, we have set up a society that encourages us to separate, not cooperate, so my not being willing, makes me part of the problem.
Taraz
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