Day 220: A Lifetime Supply

On a scale of 1 - 10 how much do you smile throughout the day? Most days I'd say I smile around a 10 but there are definitely days when my smile resembles more of a scowl. Sometimes when I am grumpy or my husband is grumpy we try to get each other to smile. Our attempts to smile under the grumpy spell usually turn into more of a baring of teeth as opposed to actually smiling. However, this usually makes us laugh, sometimes hysterically, and a real smile transpires. Smiles are wonderful. They can change a mood or even a person's day literally in the blink of an eye.

Any number of things can make me smile each day. Sometimes it is overhearing something a person says when I am out in public. Like the time I was on the subway. I was sitting there minding my own business when a mother and her five or six year-old son came aboard. It was not particularly crowded but they chose to stand anyway, the child with both hands wrapped around a pole for support. Shortly after his mother said to him, "Do not lick the pole." He didn't even have his mouth open but it was one of those moments that I recognized as pure mother's intuition. I knew in that moment that if she had not said that, he would have started licking the pole. I could not stop giggling. I laughed the rest of the way home that day and I still smile when I think of it.

One thing that made me smile today was an item I found written on our grocery list. We have this iPhone app (application) that my husband and I share between our mobile phones called Grocery Gadget. It allows us to create and share grocery lists as well as other lists and we can both add items to it at any time. We can even write in our own custom items if they are not in the app's existing list. Then once we have gone shopping we simply delete the items from the list. While I was shopping today I noticed a special item on the list that I had not seen before. It said, "Your husband loves you." Awe... I smiled from ear to ear. But where was I going to find that? I don't think they carry it at our local grocery store. I looked while I was there but couldn't find it. Luckily I was able to find it at home. Turns out we have a lifetime supply of it.

Day 219: In the Name of Women

"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you will choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women." - Nora Ephron

For those of you not familiar with her, Nora Ephron is the brilliant mind behind the films When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and, her most recent favorite of mine, Julie and Julia. These are just a few of her many works, which also include several book titles. For our September book club I am really excited that we are reading her book, "I Feel Bad About my Neck," which is about the trials and tribulations of being a woman and the pains of growing into womanhood. One thing she mentions in this book is that the neck starts to go around age forty-three. Such a pity too since that is my current age. I guess I can kiss my neck goodbye now and welcome living in a colder region where I get to wear scarves and turtlenecks most of the year.

But back to the true topic for today, I wanted to share the above quote with you because a) I think it is fabulous and b) I think it still applies and will continue to apply throughout time. How great it is to be a woman and yet NOT be a lady. She hopes that us fellow women break rules and cause some trouble out in the world, and especially in the name of women. I am all for that. In fact, it is quite possible that I have participated in this already without even knowing it was something Nora Ephron supported. I am sure I didn't even know who she was at the time. But here we are now and I am a willing and able participant.

Along the same line of thinking as Ms. Ephron's quote above I'd also like to mention something I witnessed today that made me chuckle and smile. I had just begun my bike ride home from work and was trying to ride quickly to beat the rain, which didn't actually happen. I arrived home drenched and yet still happy that I rode my bike today and ignored the weather forecast. But anyway, there I was riding along when I noticed two guys jogging down by the water out of the corner of my eye. Right about the same time, a woman was riding her bike in my direction and passed me on the road right as she full out whistled at those two shirtless jogging guys. 

I turned to look but didn't see any acknowledgment between her and the joggers. I suppose it is possible that she new them and I missed their wave but I prefer to think that it was merely reverse sexual harassment. I remember plenty of times when I have been the subject, or victim, of this wolf-whistling, which I despise, and to see the tables turned... well, I think my liver was even smiling.

Day 218: Heart Shaped Happiness

Sometimes millions of creative ideas multiple in my mind. Some are sent my way by way of something I see that inspires me, some come to me via various websites and blogs that I read or follow and others, often many others, arrive via Pinterest. While other times it feels like my head is a vacant space for rent and creative ideas are as far away as the Mohave desert. Luckily however there has been a wellspring of creative ideas and inspiration abounds. That is always good in my book, as I am a creative soul and I am at my best when creating. 

Earlier this week I came across something that caught my attention on Pinterest so I clicked on it to view its source. This then led to clicking through to one thing after another until I had seen so many different websites and blogs I don't even remember the original something that caught my interest. But the journey was fun and the destination led to today's project: Heart-patched elbows on a cute sweater. The original was cloth patches sew onto a t-shirt. Equally cute but I had another idea in mind.

I had actually seen heart elbow patches before on a Do It Yourself (DIY) site but that project was a much more difficult version where you actually make the felted hearts via needle felting and the hearts become fastened onto the sweater as you felt. So I took ideas from both of these, made up my own version and went shopping for a long-sleeved t-shirt. 

My shopping trip was very successful and yielded a long-sleeved striped t-shirt as well as a long-sleeved striped sweater. I already had a piece of felted wool at home that I bought last year with hopes for inspiration to make something fun. Little did I know that it would become these cute little heart-shaped elbow patches. The felted wool was a bit heavy for the t-shirt so I went with the sweater. 

It was a really fun Sunday afternoon project for both myself and my cat. She loves to "sew" and at one point was standing in my lap trying to get the thread and needle. When I was finished she laid down on it and started licking it so it also has the cat's seal of approval. Now I have a one of a kind sweater to make me smile in the coming fall and winter days.  

The beginning... Making hearts, measuring and placement...

Pinned on and ready to go!

But mom? What about this project? (Kitty, we'll finish that one on the next rainy day).

Ironing on with stitch witchery while watching some Olympics.

A tasty lunch and cappuccino after a swimming break at Långholmen beach.

Kitty had her own break... notice her back left foot propped up against the arm of the chair. Not spoiled at all.

I want to help!

No mom, the thread goes in my mouth!

All finished... Isn't it cute???

 It's much cuter with me sitting on it. Love, Kitty.

Day 217: Along the Road to Happiness

When you hear the word hazelnut what do you think of? Nutella always comes to mind for me as well as the fun little game called "filipin" that my husband and I played at Christmas this year where you crack open and eat whole hazelnuts right out of the shell. My very first post was about this game so they are also a bit nostalgic to my blog. I love hazelnuts and after I discovered that I could purchase them at one of the indoor markets already shelled, it has become commonplace to find a bowl of them sitting out in our kitchen. Sometimes they are mixed with other nuts and sometimes they have their own bowl for easier access.

This morning after sleeping in deliciously late, I headed down to the kitchen to make coffee with plans to bake some kind of breakfast treat as well. It is Saturday after all and breakfast treats usually happen on one or both of the weekend days. Earlier this week I came across a pumpkin scone recipe that sounded incredible and since I wrote earlier this week about my love for "pumpkin anything," I was seriously contemplating making them. Even if it is still Indian summer and I have all of autumn to make pumpkin treats. I mentioned my scone idea to my husband last night while we were riding bikes and he very seriously asked, "Will you be able to get more pumpkin?" It sounds like he was concerned that if I used the pumpkin now there wouldn't be any later when we really start to crave the pumpkin. It was pretty cute.

The obvious breakfast treat to make would have been banana bread since we had four very ripe, nearly compost-ready bananas. They would be perfect for making banana bread even if I was craving the pumpkin. As I started making coffee I noticed the bowl of hazelnuts and suddenly I new exactly what I would make. Toasted hazelnut banana bread. Not banana hazelnut bread, but Toasted Hazelnut Banana Bread (THBB). Hazelnuts would be the star. And let me just tell you, it was a brilliant idea, even if I do pat myself on the back. The crunchy hazelnuts paired with the natural ripe sweetness of the bananas and then a bit of brown sugar added to round out the flavors was like a dream come true.

It was just a tiny bit frustrating to discover half way into making this magical bread that we were out of eggs. The wait however, while I ran out to pick some up was completely worth it and the THBB was ready just in the nick of time to eat a piece piping hot out of the oven right before my husband had to run out the door to get his hair cut. There is nothing better than eating freshly baked goods right out of the oven. Brownies have been one of my absolute favorites to eat this way but since moving to Sweden I have started to lean more towards those darn kardemumma bullar (cardamom buns) and now toasted hazelnut banana bread. What can I say? Delicious food seems to always be found along the road to happiness.

Just a pile of toasted hazelnuts... in all of their glory.

Toasted Hazelnut Banana Bread with a fork and napkin on the side but I can assure you that it was stuffed into my mouth by hand as fast as I could shove it in. No fork or napkin used. I even licked my fingers.

Day 216: Pocket Money

I love jewelry. Silver jewelry. But I am particularly partial to unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that are designed and made by an artist. There is a wonderful store here called Svensk Hemslöjd, where I love to buy gifts for friends, family and occasionally myself. A while back I noticed a very unique, lovely necklace and put it on my wish list.

Fortunately it was not one of the wish list items selected because a few weeks ago, while in the store browsing, I noticed that my necklace was now marked down half off the regular price. It was very tempting but I didn't buy it. Why, you may ask? Well, we were about to go on a week long vacation (Tjörney) to Tjörn and I wanted to save my "pocket money" in case I saw something there that I loved better. Looking at it now however I wonder how I could have found something I love better. I have loved this necklace from afar for almost a year.

That is, until a couple of days ago. Now I am loving it close up and personal. I was on my way to a restaurant to get a bite to eat. The husband was out of town on business and I was craving BBQ. I know I live in Sweden but as I mentioned before, there is a new restaurant that opened not too long ago  here called Vigårda and they serve the most delicious BBQ'd chicken sandwich you've ever eaten. They also make a lingon BBQ sauce that is utterly phenomenal, even by Texas standards. I decided I would just go take a peek around Svensk Hemslöjd before dinner. And I made the decision before I walked through the door that if the necklace was still there I was going to get it. No hesitation or putting it on hold. If it was there it was fate. So guess what? I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but just in case you didn't catch that, I bought the necklace. And I am so happy that I did. It was pocket money well spent for sure. What do you spend your pocket money on?

Day 215: A Smooth, Clean Canvas

Negativity can rot a person on the inside. It isn't good to hold it in but it really isn't all that great to express it either. Here I am, seven months into my project and I feel proud that I have been able to find something happy or positive every day for all of these seven months. But before I give myself a pat on the back I feel that I need to come clean. There are some days, that I've noticed recently, that I find myself thinking pretty negative things about or toward people. Things that I would never actually say to the person but never-the-less, I say them to myself and sometimes at a very low volume but out loud. When I caught myself yesterday I wondered to myself, "How much happier would you, or could you be if you stopped thinking these things?" It doesn't really matter if I am smiling on the outside if the inside is knotted with brewing anger, jealousy and ugliness.

Don't get me wrong, I don't sit around thinking negative thoughts all day. I am talking about those teeny, tiny meteors I "think out" into the world in passing. I pass a woman who is pregnant or a new mother or father pushing their newborn in a baby stroller and I secretly "hate" them... I know, pretty awful, right? To be fair there are many days during which I last all day without shooting a thought dagger out into the ether. The other days however... well let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if some of my headaches stem from these "innocent" thoughts.

Yesterday I was on my way out to lunch and was walking across the street to mail an invoice for work and I passed a man out strolling with his baby. I caught myself mumble, "I "hate" you," and I stopped. I am sure I have said or thought these things many times without even thinking but today it shocked me. I stopped and I thought, "Wow, it's really time to stop "hating" so much." I don't actually hate the person, it is more of an expression but either way, sending out little hate daggers is not good for the emotional or spiritual environment of myself or the world.

The other day I was having a conversation at work with a couple of my colleagues and the word "hate" came up. We all agreed that it shouldn't be used, that it is a strong word with a great deal of negative energy. And there I was using it. Sigh. So the positive in this is that I have now caught myself and am on the road to recovery. After I sent out that little hate dagger yesterday I immediately stopped and said, "No, I don't hate that person, I am happy for him and I wish him and his baby well." I don't think anyone heard me. It was more of a mumble to myself, in my head, but I was able to stop and think and then change the energy I was sending out.

The energy I put out in the world, even if it is only in thought form and in the privacy of my own head, is just as important as writing about something positive or happy each day. I am sure that it still helps that I consciously think happy or positive thoughts every day but continuing to send out hate daggers at the same time is sort of like painting over a wall that is peeling and cracked without sanding or stripping off the old paint first. The ugliness will still come through. So now I am starting the real work of sanding and stripping the negativity from my thoughts so that I can paint my pretty, happy and positive images on a smooth, clean canvas. Wish me luck and send me some positive thoughts if you can spare them!

Day 214: From Chanterelle Mushrooms to Boots

As soon as I turn on my iPhone in the morning, I glance at the screen and right away notice the date on the calendar app. It stands out for some reason and especially today. The number "1" practically lept off the screen. August first. It's unbelievable really that today is the first of August. Just yesterday it was July and summer and the whole summer was ahead of us. Now it's like the count down to winter has begun. It's a bit depressing actually since this particular Swedish summer has not been as awesome as I had expected and hoped. Last year we would cook our dinner and take it out to a park for a picnic and swim, sometimes late into the evenings without even needing a jacket. This year however, my pretty, new, Marimekko vaxduk (oiled tablecloth) has sat alone on our balcony, gathering rain drops and dust.

Maybe that is unconsciously why I felt so grumpy last night. If this was Texas we'd still have at least two months left of hot to sweltering weather and then another month or so of warm weather before fall weather. But it's Sweden and the first of August signals the start of fall. Me personally? I'm planning on having Indian summer through August. But just to start off the month thinking positively I've deciding to pick five things I love about fall in Sweden, just in case fall sneaks in unexpectedly early, I want to be prepared.

1. Chanterelle mushrooms

2. Pumpkin made into pretty much anything

3. The changing colors of leaves

4. Celebrating my wedding anniversary

5. Wearing boots

Last year we never made it out to the woods to pick mushrooms but it is definitely on our list this year. We have high hopes of picking so many that our freezer will be filled with them to eat throughout the year. Ha. We'll be lucky if they last through Christmas.

Pumpkin... mmmm need I say more? Pumpkin pancakes or waffles, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips, orange marmalade pumpkin pie and maybe even pumpkin smoothies. I love pumpkin and I realize I can eat it year round but it feels special to eat it in the fall.

Another favorite fall activity is taking bike rides or walks through the beautiful parks in the city to see the changing of the leaves. A few handfuls of leaves usually make their way back home with us to become enshrined artistically on the dining table with candles. Some even get pressed into books or made into cards and later mailed to friends and family.

This year we will be in Texas at the time of our anniversary. If everything works out, we plan to celebrate by visiting the botanical garden where we had our ceremony and then maybe even a toast afterward at the winery where our reception was held.

It's funny, just a few weeks ago I packed away a couple of pairs of boots that had been sitting by the front door since their last wearing in the spring. In a short time I will be taking them back out again but that is okay. I really love wearing boots and I hope to get a new pair this year. I pretty much wear boots exclusively during the fall, winter and spring so I think that warrants a new pair each year. And there are so many gorgeous boots to choose from in Sweden. A new pair of boots is something that almost makes the close of summer worth it.

And there you have it in a nutshell. Fall happiness from chanterelle mushrooms to boots. Of course I still plan to go on a few more picnics and swim before summer is officially declared over. After all I still get off work early on Fridays throughout the month of August. In the U.S. we had Labor Day to tell us that summer was technically over. Here, I have the end of my early Fridays, which consequentially will be on Friday, August 31st.