sunnuntai 2. helmikuuta 2020

Being 64


The year 2020 has started very busy – I’ve given a quarter of my spring lectures in January. The most important thing to me was my New Year decision to take Anukatariina my title name – last year I took it as my fourth name. The procedure for that was very simple – just an internet announcement to the registry office was needed.


My work profile

My updated card

As I told my nearest colleagues about the change and they took it instantly as a norm. Then I asked to change my name officially in work environment and started to sign all of my mails and papers as Anukatariina. The students took the change very natural and mostly started to call me Anukatariina – oh, how happy I have been hearing them yell Anukatariina for help.

With the students ant Pia the colleague

And every new year gives you an additional year to your age. That happened the 2nd of February and it was the magical number 64. As I was in the beginning of my teens the Paul McCarthy song “When I’m Sixty Four” became familiar to me. The song tells about the vision what it is to be at the age of 64. Now we both have reached the point and it is time for checking if the facts match the prediction. Many things have come true but there are slight differences though...  So let’s check out

When I get older losing my hair many years from now – Happened a bit earlier but covered with the wig most of the time

Will you still be sending me a Valentine – Yes, it’s a tradition

Birthday greetings bottle of wine – A bottle together is fine

If I'd been out till quarter to three would you lock the door - Going out in night time isn’t very popular nowadays

Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four - Yes, we still need and feed ourselves – though our story has started during the ongoing millennium.  

You'll be older too – You’re less than a year ahead though

And if you say the word I could stay with you     – No problem, the plan A is stick tightly together.

I could be handy, mending a fuse when your lights have gone – Yep, still my job

You can knit a sweater by the fireside  – Not anymore dear, even though you’d wanted to

Sunday mornings go for a ride   – Maybe we should buy a side-by-side model.

Doing the garden, digging the weeds who could ask for more – I dig the weed and you tell where the flowers should be planted.

Every summer we can rent a cottage In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear – Maybe it is but we still have our cottage week every summer

We shall scrimp and save…    - We’ll see after I’ve retired....

Grandchildren on your knee Vera, Chuck and Dave     – More than three grandkids!

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My birthday weekend consisted some special activities. 

Enjoying Belgian pork

At the Ingria exhibition at the National Museum. The Ingrian people were of Finnish origin at the St. Petersburg region and most of them were expelled to the Gulags in Stalin era. Now many of them live also in Finland.

At the concert

Toasting with the Runeberg cake. The birthday of the national Poet Ruinebergi is on 5th of  February.


The grandkids will come to play on my knee next weekend.