Happiness songs

A while back The Happiness Project had a post about how some songs just make you happy. Thinking about it for a while I started to make of list of songs that make me happy, no matter what.

This morning on the radio I heard Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers singing Islands in the stream and I knew immediately that this song had to go on my list. In this video they are also genuine happy and show very much that they love what they are doing. The same goes for the song. You can tell they are enjoying it and that is passed on to you as a listener very much. Two great voices and lovely lyrics also make this song a typical happiness song.

Americans, the new winos

Or oenophiles as wine-drinkers actually are called. The Daily Telegraph reports:

America is on course to overtake France as the world's number one wine drinking nation as the Gallic taste for vin ordinaire withers.

Figures released ahead of the world's biggest wine fair, Vinexpo in Bordeaux, show that national consumption has fallen so low that the French will be eclipsed by the Americans in 2010.

Quite disappointing news for the many French winemakers who want the new president Sarkozy to do more for the industry. But Sarkozy is proud to be a teetotal and a clean-living president (even though meeting with the Russian president at the G8 summit tells another story).

So what can one say? The world is changing. A Frenchman who doesn’t like eating and drinking and Americans who love wine. What has the world come to?!

Disappearing £50 notes

The Bank of England is having concerns. It seems like the £50 notes are disappearing.

At the last count there were £6.5 billion of £50 notes in circulation. But the bank is having difficulty tracking them all down. Preliminary investigations suggest that they are being shipped overseas by migrant workers, mainly from eastern Europe, who are paid in cash.

But that’s not only the problem for Bank of England. The numbers of "soiled and scruffy" £5 notes are increasing to the amount that they are thinking about reviewing the possibility of introducing plastic £5 notes, which hopefully will be more durable.

Super shoes

Besides the Fit Flop that seems to be the talk of the town right now there are plenty of shoes out there which claim everything from correcting your posture to getting rid of cellulite, and even relieving the symptoms of diabetes and arthritis. But really how good are they?

According to a test in The Daily Mail last week Asgis and MBT Trainers get the highest rating with 9/10. Then come the Crocs with 8/10. Both Earth Sandals and Nike Free get a 6/10, while the Power Diet Sandal and Fit Flop ends up with only 4/10. The lowest rating goes to the Beech Sandals, which only gets 3/10.

So which shoe should one buy then? I guess it very much comes down to how much one want to pay and how much one believes in miracle cures. The only shoes, which there are research evidence that it actually does exercise the leg muscles, are the MBT trainers. They are also the most expensive ones at £125 so you probably get what you pay for.

Reading

It’s funny how relaxed and good I feel every occasion I really take the time to just read. And read a lot. With the rain still pouring yesterday I managed to read three books. Now I can't wait until my holidays start in three weeks so I can read more. A lot more.

First out was a very good and quite realistic Swedish detective story written by a professor in criminology. I guess he somehow knows what he’s talking about.

I then continued with Brooke Shields’ book Down came the rain. A brave and honest story about herself suffering from postnatal depression after the birth of her first daughter. The book made me realise how common PND is and that there is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not your fault. A good read for every woman.

Before turning out the light late last night I also finished I wish someone were waiting for me somewhere by Anna Gavalda. A collection of short stories about ordinary people, ordinary lives and emotions that change everyday life. My favourite story was Courting Rituals of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where a woman decides she has heard enough to cut short what could have been a passionate love affair. Plain and brilliant storytelling.

Blind as a bat

That’s me. Without glasses or contacts I would almost have to use sonar just to be able to walk around without bumping into things. I rarely think about it though. The official Cathy at work and other places outside the house wear contacts. But just being at home I wear glasses, which are the last thing I take off before going to bed and the first thing I put on in the morning. Blind as a bat…

Yesterday going to mum’s Midsummer dinner I just felt like wearing glasses even though I was leaving home. Everything went well until I was going to put on some makeup. I couldn’t see myself in the mirror! Any closer to the mirror and I would have been in the mirror. It was actually a bit hilarious and I remembered very much why I use contacts all the time. Just call me a vain bat…

Summer solstice

Yesterday was summer solstice and today it’s Midsummer here in Sweden. As usual this means pouring rain, and today is no exception to the rule. It’s quite chilly as well.

I haven’t been home at Midsummer for years. Last year I was in London. The year before that Paris and before that London (I think). So I’m not really big on all those traditions that come with Midsummer. Just like New Years one just has to do something and there are so many musts. A major reason why I try to get away from it all. This year though, in a weak moment, I said yes to mum’s invitation since it’s their first year not having a house and garden to have a party in. I believe it’s going to be a rather quiet affair, but that’s very fine with me. Then I can just leave early and go home and do whatever I feel like.

Not being big on Midsummer I do love the daylight this time of the year. Nothing beats going to bed at midnight and it is still not dark outside. The sky is just dark blue with some hints of green, but it’s not pitch dark. It never will. The same goes for it if you have to get up really early or get into bed at wee hours of the morning. It’s light outside.

Moments like that is what keep me alive the rest of the year when it’s dark, cold and miserable outside. There is nothing like the Swedish summer daylight.

Quote of the day

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.

~ Mark Twain ~

Sick benefits

A Swedish heavy metal fan has gotten his music interest officially classified as a disability. The result from a psychological evaluation has enabled him to supplement his income with state benefits.

Because heavy metal dominates so many aspects of his life, the Employment Service has agreed to pay part of Tullgren's salary. His new boss meanwhile has given him a special dispensation to play loud music at work.

What is wrong with people? If I got to decide food, wine, books and travelling would dominate my life, but somehow I know I have to have a job and earn money. Money which I can use learning about food, wine, read books and travel.

But his sessions with the occupational psychologists led to a solution of sorts: Tullgren signed a piece of paper on which his heavy metal lifestyle was classified as a disability, an assessment that entitles him to a wage supplement from the job centre."

I signed a form saying: 'Roger feels compelled to show his heavy metal style. This puts him in a difficult situation on the labour market. Therefore he needs extra financial help'. So now I can turn up at a job interview dressed in my normal clothes and just hand the interviewers this piece of paper," he said.

What kind of psychologist would encourage an addiction instead of trying to cure it? Will the next thing be giving out money to a gambler and send him the racetrack? For me this is undermining the system. A system that is quite bad to start with, but still does help people. So having a heavy metal addiction classified as a disability is just someone ridiculing and using the system. In short, either this person is very smart or very ill. Personally I would go with the first choice.

High performing control freak

Last week at work I had to do two different personality tests. One test showing what sort of team player I am and if I have to adjust my personality when working. The other one showing how I cope with stress and if there are any eventual signs of a burnout.

Even though the test are scientific there are really no rights or wrongs. Hopefully the tests will just show things and traits that one already knows about or recognise. In my case it was almost scary since the results was very much spot on.

The team player test showed me as a people skills oriented person with the special traits of a team worker being a good listener, collaborative, co-operative, easy going and tactful. Yes, that’s me. The test also showed that I do not adjust my personality when working, which supposedly means that I’m in the right position at work.

The stress test was a bit more in depth showing that I’m a high performer, but not with the type A personalities as being competitive and impatient. The test also showed that I’m a control freak (no surprise there) and are very much trying to be the good girl.

In the end the evaluator (who also worked as psycho-analyst which explain some of her flakiness) actually told me to go out there and lose the control every now and then. "Get drunk and do something ridiculous!” Hm, I’m sure there must something else I can do than getting drunk… My head can’t take that anymore. I was also told broaden/step outside my comfort zone and challenge myself with new things.

Interesting advice, which I clearly need to think about. As usual everything that don’t kill you strengthens you.

Mamma Mia

Some friends and I went to see Mamma Mia last night. An amazing "feel good" show that got me smiling and nodding to the beat. To start with though, it was a bit weird to hear the lyrics in Swedish. I more or less know every single word by heart and rhythm as well, but the translation was superb. In some sense even better because now the lyrics was actually a bit more beautiful. The cast was amazing with Swedish top of the line musicians and artist.

Having a drink after the show my friends and I marvelled over how amazing the music by Abba really is. 30-35 years later and people still love the songs. I read somewhere that their sound is quite unique with both guitar and piano and that’s why they got so popular. Or really still is.

For me they are just part of my 70’s upbringing. Having dark hair I always ended up being Anni-Frida when we played dress up. My best friend was blond so there weren’t really any discussions about who was going to be who. A ruthless world… And whenever a new record came out we went straight the shop. Those were the days…

Still though whenever I listen to Abba music todayI get happy and feel almost like singing and dancing again. Something that is very rare for me, so their music must be very unique...

Resignation

I know this is very old, but we all have days when we just want to resign. Today it’s me…

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple; When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn’t know and you didn't care.

All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So…here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my RRSP statements. I am officially resigning from adulthood.

And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause... "Tag! You're it."

Cute kids

This is rare. I never say that kids are cute, but this story and video clip is. My Texas friend Holly sent me this article about the Houston Grand Opera where she works and their summer camp.

During May and June HGO is holding three Create an Opera camps for elementary-age children and teens in aim to make opera accessible, comfortable and fun. And fun it is according to some of the participants.

"It was hard to see which tune to pick because there are a lot of tunes," said Sidney Primm, 8, who sang the villain of sorts, Tommy Tittlebottom.

The final work was "quite nice," according to Sadie, whose mom works on the opera staff.

But it was no Faust; that opera, about a scholar who makes a bargain with the devil, is Sadie's favorite.

Sidney rated The Power of Words a 6, on a scale of 1 to 10. Not bad considering he gave Mozart a 5 for The Marriage of Figaro. Hansel and Gretel earned a 9, but that production featured a 15-foot witch. Plus, Sidney sang in HGOs children's chorus for that opera.

So getting to like opera is actually a child’s play.

Fit flops

This must be every woman's dream. Flip flops that have the potential to make your bum smaller and your legs leaner just by walking. (But I thought this happend by walking in ordinary shoes as well…)

Created by the woman behind Bliss Spas Marcia Kilgore, Fitflops it is claimed to burn fat, improve posture, strengthen muscles and reduce joint strain. Sound a bit too good to be true to me, but according to Kilgore it works.

How do they work? Well, in a similar way to MBT, the Fitflop slightly destablises the foot as one walks, creating a kind of continuous tension in the muscles of the foot and leg. "It's like a mini-wobble board," explains Kilgore. "It makes you step more naturally and it activates the slow-twitch muscle fibres in the legs [the fat burners]."

Both in the UK and the US the Fitflops are now so popular that are waiting lists in the shops so I guess either they either the shoes are as good as they say or it is the same old story about women and their bodies… Perfectly toned bum and legs and life will become perfect. (No, I’m not being sarcastic at all…)

Chocolate instead of math

Primary schools in the UK are now abandoning traditional subjects in favour of themes as chocolate and space travel.

The critics say the pupils will be ill equipped for secondary level where teaching is more subject based, whilst the supporters say that teachers are more enthusiastic since they are the ones devising the lessons.

Being a child of the 1970’s and growing up in quite "red" era I have very mixed feelings about this. How much did we really learn by sitting in the big pillows on the floor talking about flowers? Or tossing small beanbags in different sized buckets learning math? To me it seems like we never really got prepared for the real world. Our world was just soft and fluffy, so of course starting secondary level was hard for most of us. Suddenly we were expected to learn something and there were demands. Rough world… But after a while you actually realised that this was for your own good and somehow we survived and turned into pretty decent young adults.

Like so many other things I guess, somewhere in the middle or a mix of things is always best. But knowing about chocolate can never be wrong…

Be happy, wear trainers

Like so many other women I love shoes, but finding the right shoe is always a struggle since I have wide feet. Just looking at shoes that are narrow and/or pointy make my feet hurt. Over the years I’ve learned the hard way what not to wear and to wear. I’m always the happiest wearing loafers at work and some sort of trainers when private. Happy feet make Cathy a happy girl.

Turns out I’m not the only one thinking like this. Gretchen Rubin at The Happiness Project:

Obviously, many people don’t have an option to wear running shoes all day. But if you could wear running shoes, but don’t, give it a shot. I predict you will get a serious happiness boost.

So there you have it. Be happy, wear trainers.

She’s home

In bright sunshine and temperatures above 30 degrees East Indiaman Göhteborg arrived home today after 20 months at sea.

According to officials almost 200 000 people had gather both on land and sea to welcome her home which was quite a sight. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who almost teared up seeing her coming in from the west. We do love our ships in this town!

Quote of the day

Via Samizdata:

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favour of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.

~ H. L. Mencken ~

Talk of the town

The London Olympic logo was reviled on Monday causing quite a debate and the reason for numerous posts in the blogsphere. Here are just a few of them: Brian Micklethwait, Diamond Geezer, Londonist, Samizdata and Viral Garden.


The review of the logos is everything from brilliant to horrendous. The first time I saw the logo I wasn’t real sure what I was looking at and could definitely not see the numbers making up 2012. And then not spelling London with a capital L? Last but not least we have the colours. Neon?! Not really my cup of tea, but the more I look at them the more I start to like them. Maybe it’s just like organising committee chief Sebastian Coe said – People will get used to them. We’ll see… Great Britain being Great Britain I’m pretty sure we’ll hear plenty about the logo before 2012 comes around.

To add to all of this the logos cost £400 000 (just under $800 000) and took more than a year to create. Makes you wonder a bit.

New, but old furniture

With mum and my stepfather moving house and downsizing they are trying to get rid off as many things as possible, and being the National Day and another Bank Holiday right in the middle of the week my stepfather saw the chance to drive over with an antique secretaire and captain’s chair that come from my dad’s family. Both beautiful pieces of furniture that always been standing the in the hall and is very much part of my childhood. Especially the chair which back then was huge. As a teenager, getting mad or something, I managed to knock over the chair and the back cracked. Guess who then was in trouble?!

I put both pieces in the bedroom replacing an old set of drawers that I got from my Gran when I moved into my first own flat. I’m a bit surprised how well it turned out and I have to say that finally my bedroom looks like a bedroom for an adult. No white and girly stuff any more. I’m a big girl now!

Going through the drawers I probably throw away half the stuff in there. I can’t believe that one drawer was full of bags from shops I’ve visited on my travels. Why in the world have I kept those? In another drawer I found all my old diaries, which I didn’t dare to have a look at, but of course did keep. Maybe another time. Also old birthday cards and postcards went straight into the bin.

So here I am feeling sort of relived and happy after finally having gone through all that stuff and somehow also closed another door to the past. Life is here and now and I’m very much a grown up woman.

Trying again

For the umpteenth time this year I’m trying to get back on the healthy wagon. Simply said eating healthier and exercise more. The only thing that makes my cloths look better on me, but most of all it makes me feel so much better about myself.

With no demanding project and summer time started last week at work (we get off an hour earlier June-August) I didn’t have any more excuses for not going to the gym. So today I bit the bullet and went. As usual I started with stepping on the scale and to my surprise I hadn’t gained one single gram. My weight is still not what I would like it to be, but the changes I felt and seen in my body the last months are just me becoming unfit and flabby. At least some sort of comfort…

My summer holiday starts in six weeks and my goal is to focus very much on my eating and exercise until then. One day at a time, turning into one week at a time. Reading The Sunday Times yesterday I found some tips that might help me along the way.

Breakfast time
Swap cereal and toast for muesli and fruit
Have a scone, fruit salad, coffee and yoghurt instead of a muffin
Ditch the croissant for poached eggs, tomatoes and toast
Make a bacon sarnie with lean bacon, tomato and ketchup

Out to lunch
Skip shop-bought baguettes and make your own pitta pockets
Have a baked potato with beans and salad instead of cheese and butter
Avoid mayonnaise-rich tuna sandwiches and make your own
Choose minestrone or gazpacho instead of fattening soups

Chocoholics
Coat toast with chocolate spread for your pain au chocolat fix
Melt-in-the-mouth milk buttons instead of a slab of chocolate
Have a kit kat with two servings of fruit instead of a mars bar
Low-fat mousse with biscotti fills the chocolate brownie vacuum

Snack attack
Replace salted peanuts with a raisin and peanut mix
Snack on olives and give hoummos and crudites a miss
Skip the tortilla chips and choose a tzatziki vegetable dip
Forget the flapjack and tuck in to a jam and cream scone

Having a drink
Turn your wholemilk cappuccino into a skinny cappuccino snack
Take hot drinks with smimmed milk and without sugar
Swap a smoothie for three pieces of fresh fruit and drink water
Cut wine measures and enjoy a long spritzer drink

Travelling solo

Having four weeks of holidays starting in mid July I’m sort of panicking. It seems like everybody else has already gotten plans. I haven’t got a clue besides the obvious that I want to travel. Experience new places and things. Meet new people and cultures. But with everybody else already busy what is there to do? Go by myself? Yes, but somehow I’m still hesitating even though I’ve done it before and enjoyed every minute of it. When I tell my friend that I’m thinking about travelling by myself they look at me and say “Really? Just you?” and in their voice I can hear the pity. When I reply with saying “Why not?” they quickly change the subject. And yet again I think that it might not be so wise to go by myself. Women shouldn’t do that...

Then I read Francisca Kellett’s post at The Daily Telegraph and made up my mind very quickly. Really what is stopping me? Nothing! I’m a smart and savvy woman who has travelled before and it’s not like I’m going out in the bush by myself. I'm actually thinking about going to a big city with lots of culture (and some shops) and just have a fabulous time.

Rosé wines

On Wednesday it was time for the last wine testing before the summer. With summer around corner the theme was rosé wines. I have never really liked rosé wines. They are just something in between and it feels like drinking raspberry syrup with a hint of alcohol. Just blend and boring, but it does remember me of hot summers night in Paris.

The Italian sparkling wine was the surprise of the evening, but my favourite turned out to be the New Zeeland rosé, which was the only wine from the New World.

Gran Feudo Rosado - Spain
Light raspberry colour. Notes of berries and fruit. Dry taste with some hints of cherry pips and strawberries.

Valle Reale Vigne Nuove Cerasuolo 2006 - Italy
Pink salmon colour. Notes of cherries and raspberries. Dry taste of cherries and herbs.

Château d'Aquéria Rosé 2006 - France
Light pink colour with a tinge of blue. Notes of red currant and herbs. Dry flavourful taste of herbs, raspberries and red currant..

Stoneleigh Pinot Noir Rosé 2006 – New Zeeland
Bright raspberry colour. Notes of raspberries, grass and some red plums. Dry fruity taste of mature strawberries, raspberries and grass. My favourite wine of the evening.

Rotari Rosé 2002 – Italy
Sparkling with a coral pink colour. Discrete notes of wild strawberries, red currant and some crackers. Dry fruity taste of wild strawberries and crackers.

Delamotte Rosé - France
Champagne with an orange pink colour. Notes of bread, raspberries and some ginger. Very dry taste of mature strawberries, raspberries and dried fruit.