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My husband is a dentist by profession and I have graduated from the University of Helsinki where I studied languages [sic] literature and sociology. We have been married ten years and have two little sons. One is five and is called Tapio and the other is two years old and his name is Kallin. I think it is not very easy to bring up boys and consider you a lucky mother when you have got [sic] a daughter. I have always longed to have a sister but did not get one and now I have hoped to get a daughter but it seems to be equally hopeless.

I was teaching English in one of our high schools here but had to give it up after the birth of Kallin. I thought it best for the children to have their mother at home with them as long as they are small and need their mother most. It is nice to be a house wife [sic] for a change but on the other hand I am afraid of forgetting everything I have learned and try to study whenever I have space [sic] time left. I read lots of English books. Every month I get a nice parcel of books from the libraries of the Finnish British Society and the British Council in Helsinki. But reading is not quiet the same as speaking. That is why I always enjoy having people here with whom to speak English. It only happens so very seldom. I was very happy to have an English lady with us for midsummer and she again was happy to be able to see our midsummer bonfires. When she came I found my English terribly rusty but before she left I think I could speak a little more fluently. It was so nice to read that you are a teacher, too. I am sure we have very much in common and should be interested in hearing about your work at school.

Our music listening is limited to the radio for the moment, too. Because we live in a flat which is too small for us we have no room for our piano, which we had to leave at my parents’ in Helsinki, when we moved here. It is a pity because both of us like to play the piano very much. And my husband’s dearest hobby is to compose nice little songs for his own pleasure (and for mine, too) and he cannot do it very well without a piano. But we hope we shall get a bigger house before long and have our piano with us again.