Braving the Snow

 

My winter Moomin mug

 Time to try and overcome the fear of snow... 

 

 

... put on proper winter boots with studded soles... 

... and get out there...

... even if just to the dustbins, plus a few steps extra! 

(Cold winds blowing, so not tempting to stay out long...) 

Back in - after my five minutes or so of "braving it" - I got Barbie and Skipper to dress for winter, too. Skipper is wearing a pair of winter boots that I made for her earlier in the autumn, from two fingers cut off from a worn-out glove. And if anyone is wondering what it is that she is holding under her arm, that's a little yarn gnome that I found under the sofa earlier in the autumn, and who must have been hiding there since last Christmas - if not longer... I entrusted him to Skipper to look after until this Christmas, and she's taking her job seriously. 

Keep Warm, Keep Cool...

 

I added to my collection of Moomin mugs today. I blame my tea-loving Swedish friend Lena (also a water colour artist) for the temptation, because she has been posting a different tea mug every day this month on Facebook. I too have more mugs/cups than I need - but unlike her, not enough different ones to be able to show a unique one for every day of the month... (And I also really have no ambition to increase my collection to be able to do that.)

But... When in town today (for other errands), I passed through a mall where there is a home decor shop selling (among other things) the Moomin mugs. And on display near the entrance was this tall yellow one, which aroused my curiosity. It turned out not to be an ordinary porcelain mug, but a thermos mug - which gave me a good excuse to allow myself to buy it (as I don't have one of those before). 

 

With a metallic inside and a tight-fitting lid, it can be used to keep drinks either hot or cold; and I decided it might come in handy in summer, if I want to bring a drink outside... Or even just to keep a cool drink of water (or a warm cup of tea) at hand indoors by the TV... 

 

Below is a Moomin postcard with the image that obviously inspired the one on my thermos cup. They're not exactly alike, though - do you spot the difference?

 

 

 

 

 

My Moomin Mugs

In comments to my previous post I was asked to post photos of all my Moomin mugs. As my collection is no larger than nine, I did not find the request too overwhelming...

 I took some photos this morning while there was good daylight in the kitchen. 

The texts I got from Arabia's website (i.e. the manufacturer); see link at the bottom.

Muddler & Little My

"Muddler is a restless and absent-minded collector who lives in a coffee tin. He keeps all the buttons that he finds, but is hopelessly careless with his collection. He forgets things and loses stuff almost all the time."

"Little My is one of Mymble's children. She is the smallest and most energetic. Little My always decides herself what she will and won't do. She isn't bothered by a mess, and she is so small that she fits into a pitcher or kitchen drawer between the whisks and spoons."

 

Snufkin & Moominmama

 
"Snufkin is a gentle vagabond who plays his mouth organ and loves to fish. Moomintroll is his best friend and Little My is his stepsister. Snufkin wears a green hat and wanders the countryside wherever his fancy takes him."

"Moominmamma is a gentle mother who cares for others. She never reveals the secrets that she has been told. She makes sure that the Moominhouse is safe and feels loving to both her family and to visitors."

 

The Ancestor

 
"The fascinating, mystical Ancestor is small and hairy. He moves only at night time, and doesn't speak at all. He lives in the Moominhouse salon, behind the oven. He keeps on decorating the house by turning paintings upside down."

 

"Adventure Move" (The Comet) + "Spring Winter"

Adventure Move (Snorkmaiden, Little My, Mymble (My's sister), Moomin and others )
"The Moomins run away from a comet and bring only the absolute essentials along with them. The comet floats in the air and gets bigger every day, and looks like it will hit the ground very soon."

Spring winter (Snufkin, Moomin, Little My)
(My comment: Moomin trolls usually hibernate in winter - while Snufkin prefers to go south for the winter, and comes back in spring. One winter, Moomin wakes up early, while there is still snow on the ground. Little My is awake too; and a squirrel plays a role in the story.) 

 

Moomin Valley

 Moominvalley
(Summer. Moominpappa in the black hat + several other characters.)

Moominhouse

Moominhouse

"Moominpappa is very proud of the Moominhouse, which he built himself.
Guests are always welcome and the doors are always open, even at
night-time. Moominpappa, Moominmamma and Moomintroll live in the house
and are its permanent residents. Others come and go as they please."

 

You can find all Moomin mugs here:
https://arabia.fi/eng/products/moomin-mug-listing

"Arabia’s Moomins are turned from stories to ceramic illustrations by designer Tove Slotte. She has been drawing Moomins onto Arabia items since the beginning of the 1990s. The designer draws inspiration from Tove Jansson’s original illustrations."

My own "collection" started with the Muddler mug, which was a present from my friend G (who recently passed away) - either for Christmas or some birthday. Not sure what year. I thought the Muddler looked a bit lonely in my cupboard, so I got him Little My as companion, and I think I also bought the Moomin House around the same time. Then other friends gave me the Snufkin and Moominmamma mugs, I think for my 60th birthday. And the other four I've bought myself on different occasions after that.

The Moomin House has become my Water Mug, which means it's always on my kitchen countertop or draining board, never in the cupboard. The others I use for tea and I tend to vary which mugs I use the most from season to season. :) (I drink tea 3-4 times/day)