18 Comments
User's avatar
Marci Cornett's avatar

I just love the places your imagination goes, Elina! 😃 ❤️ Also, even though as of 5 minutes ago I didn't know what rönttönen was, I now have a fierce craving for it. 😄

Elina Haverinen's avatar

Thank you, dear Marci! I'm so glad you enjoy the results of our relationship, mine and the imagination 😁 Oh, you must come and taste them! They are peculiar, but very good.

Marci Cornett's avatar

Oh I would/will love that! 😋

Kay Stratton's avatar

I don’t know where to start here, Elina, it’s so eloquent and evocative. It really made me think several times about the ‘convenience’ of our foods. And a loneliness in eating them. They’re rarely a meal for more than one. Such poetic description life of a carrot — not something I ever thought I’d write. Or read!

Thank you for sharing this. 💖💖

Elina Haverinen's avatar

Thank you, dear Kay! I'm so happy you enjoyed it ❤️ Yes, that's so true, they're mostly made for single-eaters. And of course there's nothing wrong with eating alone. It's the subtle encouragement of meaninglessness that troubles me.

Kay Stratton's avatar

I eat alone every night, and I have certainly succumbed to a ready meal, but it makes it ‘feel’ like a lonely endeavour.

Elina Haverinen's avatar

That's exactly it.

Laura | E Pluribus Yum's avatar

Really enjoyed reading this, thank you! I've never thought about something as mundane as a trip to the grocery store in such a poetic way. Next time I'll be smelling the tomatoes without guilt.

Elina Haverinen's avatar

Thank you for reading, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, guilt-free tomato smelling 😊

Lewis Holmes's avatar

This was a blast, I am never going to look at my local Sainsbury's again in the same way.

Elina Haverinen's avatar

Ahaha, I hope it was a good blast 😉

Daniel Puzzo's avatar

I am not sure what's going on here, I had to read it twice to make sense of it, and I'm so glad I did! This is rather unorthodox, if I may say so, but thoroughly enjoyable and so unique. I feel like there's more to unpack here - pun loosely intended, I suppose - but I love the message.

Elina Haverinen's avatar

In the era of the great bland middle, being told you've written something bizarre, unorthodox, and unique may be the highest compliment one can get. Thank you so much, Daniel! ❤️

Older and wider's avatar

How delightful to read this is. Food, life, soul, enjoyment: sacrificed for commerce.

I remember eating some lightly-steamed veggies that had been picked from the garden only minutes earlier. The flavour! Magnificent!

- And a summer treat that we love (it's summer here): picking ripe, purple, soft blackberries, and popping them straight into the mouth. Along with the occasional tart berry surprise, the full sweetness is life itself. On the way back to the house: plucking some mint leaves for refreshment. Mmmm...

Thanks for these beautifully crafted words; they were refreshing, too. 🙂

Elina Haverinen's avatar

I’m so happy you find the words delightful! Ohhh, surrounded by ice and snow here, your summer treats sound especially sweet. Enjoy your days, and whatever deliciousness summer hands you on a plate!

Jayne Marshall's avatar

I love that you (or the narrator, or both) sniff the vegetables. I also love this: "He in his white linen suit. I in my thick quilted jacket, woollen scarf, beanie, and double mittens. Eternity seems to have exempted him from seasonal adjustments." I had a crystal clear image of you both in my mind. It says so much with just a few, well-chosen words Only one thing I don’t love... I've never read any Mark Twain (!) and now I feel if I did I run the risk of being disappointed because he won't sound like this 😊

Elina Haverinen's avatar

How lovely – those were some of the lines I was especially pleased with! 😃 I've read almost everything by Mr. Twain, and he's one of my all-time favourites. If you ever feel like it, he's excellent company 😉

Jayne Marshall's avatar

I trust your judgement, so I shall make a (supermarket) date with him 😊