Little Things, Big Magic

Five Estonia joys this fall

View from the deck out to the gardens and then the Baltic Sea

As November rolls in, you really feel the seasons changing here in southern Estonia on the Baltic Sea. John starts up the woodstove every morning and the kettle is keeping the hot tea flowing.

But while life turns cozy inside, there’s still magic outdoors with the final burst of color in the trees as we prepare for the darker months.

‘Tis the season to keep an eye out for daily joys: Those nuggets of beauty and hope that make us pause, breath, smile and remember with gratitude our bounty of goodness.

We all have them. Everywhere and every day. Some days when the world feels so complicated and dark, I need a reminder of that myself. To appreciate the abundance of small joys.

With that in mind, let me share a few things that have been sparking joy lately here for me:

1. Lovely Light of Fall

Yes, the days are growing darker. Yes, by the end of November the sun will set at 3:30 pm. Yes, we’re in a rainy season with more clouds than blue skies.

But . . . when the sun does shine, especially in the late afternoon, it’s so intense you feel like you’re looking at a painting versus real life.

Let our cat, Artie, demonstrate.

2. Cheers to Halloween

Halloween – at least the American version with costumes, candy and all things creepy – is quickly catching on in Estonia. Even between last year and now, it seemed to me everything from Halloween events to store displays multiplied.

John (not generally known as the crafty half of our team – usually my department), got this fun idea (and a helpful YouTube video) to add a touch of Halloween to our rural road with this witch with let’s say bad directional sense. Almost as bad as my map reading skills.

3. Thrifting Knitwear

While lots (most!) people I encounter outside of Estonia give me that polite but blank and look when I mention where I’m living . . . because they honestly have no idea what or where we are . . . if ever I mention “Estonia” to a serious knitter they know exactly what I’m talking about. And quickly smile.

Estonian knitting is world-renowned among textile artists for its exceptional craftsmanship, deep cultural tradition and much more.

While I have lots to learn on the Estonian knitting heritage appreciation front, on my long list of new things to learn I’m not taking on actually learning to knit anytime soon. But a fun and frugal way to appreciate the knitting culture in fall is handmade knitted items showing up at local thrift stores.

A handmade, knitted something at a charity shop in need of a new home is my equivalent of bringing home a lost kitten: there is history and love behind those stitches that need to be appreciated. And at a good price to boot.

4. Kanarbik Everywhere

‘Tis the season of kanarbik, a multi-colored evergreen dwarf shrub in the same family as heather that you see everywhere, from these city displays in Pärnu to wild in the forests or for sale in shops.

She’s a beautiful, hardy, resilient plant and queen of the Estonian autumn landscape.

I dug out a couple from the woods here and transplanted to our gardens. Let’s see how she does.

5. Happy, Lingering Sweet Peas

We experimented with planting sweet peas on the fence line right as you walk from the house into the garden and oh am I glad John suggested this. These flowers found their happy spot; still blooming late into the fall and you pass them by every time you walk to the garden or the sea.

See the colored garden stakes that I tied them to for support? Talk about a full circle story.

My Estonian grandpa (my dad’s father), Jaak Kivirist, made these by hand when he and the family immigrated to the States in the 1950s after the war and the years at a DP (displaced persons) camp in Augsburg, Germany.

Jaak was known for his beautiful garden with flowers and fruits and vegetables. He blended practicality with beauty; why should a stake by just a stick when you can carve it and add paint for a splash of color?

Jaak passed in 1969 in Hoopeston, Illinois when he was 83 and I was just two years old, so unfortunately I never knew him when alive. After he passed, my dad kept these stakes in the garage for the next fifty years, for whatever reason they were never used. After my dad passed they ended up in Wisconsin and I, also, didn’t use them.

But maybe it was just a question of not having the right place?

When we made the move to Estonia and decided what to pack in the shipping container, I felt compelled to take them with for no logical reason really. Even though they were carved in the States, I knew his heart was in Estonia and they needed to come home.

And here they are again! Back on Estonian soil. These sweet peas gifted me with the perfect opportunity to both use them and celebrate the full circle of it all. Think Jaak is smiling?

Me and my grandparents — age two (not sure what I was carrying in the purse! 😆)

Check out more photos (and ordering options) from John D. Ivanko on Alamy