I woke up at 6 AM. It was totally dark. I quickly figured out why I couldn’t sleep. It’s my husband’s birthday. In 1973, we had met 10 days prior, on October 8, in the Spanish language lab, following the class. The lab was housed in this red brick building, built at the beginning of 1880’s.

Interestingly enough, my current office is located in a similar building, just about 100 meters up the hill. We always celebrate our meeting day, and this year I was in the right place – but alone. Not much reason for celebrating!

Back to October 18! After I had met Roope, he told me his birthday was coming up. I promised a cake in bed – not knowing that a tradition would get started right then and there. So, on October 18, I marched down from the 7th floor to Robert’s 4th floor apartment door (in the same building), lit the candles, rang the doorbell, startled the roommate, Erkki, and entered with a chocolate cake. Roope was totally stunned – no one had ever done anything like that to him, he told me later. And thus our young lovestory got a little more serious.

Tonight, I can see the building where all this took place from my window while I’m typing. It’s raining, and it finally feels like October. I am going to let my darling sleep in and skype him at 6 PM = 8 AM California time and sing, Paljon onnea vaan . . . The chocolate cake  –  Sachertorte for the last 30 years – will wake him up. Only this time, it’s baked by our beautiful daughters, Maiju and Matlena. I’m sure the boys, Johannes and Rafael, will come up with some exciting presents, and I already know that all four kids are cooking a birthday dinner together.  So, I’ll be thinking of all of them here, in Jyväskylä, lighting a candle and toasting Roope. And we will all celebrate again in two weeks when I return to Berkeley for a visit.  Happy Birthday - !Vaya con Dios, mi tunante!