Day 11 – A Blue Sky And Forgetmenots

Dear G, there are children who think that a sunny day in May is best spent on the public library. Those children are mine.
And you know our local library – with great windows that gives  maximum light on a grey winter day… and also maximum heat on a sunny day in May. When I finally made them go home I was more certain than ever that every hour in May not spent in the garden is a lost one.
Just about when dinner was ready to be served I left the others and went out running. According to my new schedule it was supposed to be an easy, relaxed and quite fast run. Almost flying.
But I'm in worse shape than I've been since giving birth, and loads of poisonous birch pollen doesn't help either.
We are far from flying, my dear, and the only consolation I can find is to remind myself that I'm not allowed to run yet for another three weeks. And that the workout I'm doing, trying to do, should be called rehab. Or at least recovery. Will try not to forget it.

Have you seen that some of my for-get-me-nots are white? 
They make me so incredible proud. 
As so do my library loving children.

Day 10 – Boiling Asparagus

Dear G, today I went to C-badet with my son J. While he took a swimming lesson I swam as fast as I could for 40 min, mostly thinking about those who survived Utøya and how incredible important it can be to know how to swim. Afterwards we bathed in the bubble pool (no, kids are not allowed, we make them do just one exception each time). J calls the bubble pool "The boiling kettle". We pretended we were asparagus. Had such a good time, X C

Day 3 – 9 Very Early vs Very Late Running

Dear G, we've always said that the most difficult about running is not doing it, but to get time to do it. Tuesday morning I got out 5.30 am, to be sure to find the time. It was a beautiful morning, and afterwards I sat on the outdoor stairs and felt as calm the most relaxed yoga guru you'd ever imagine. So happy that my left foot would let me run two months after the surgery, one month earlier than allowed. And looking at the May blossoming in my our garden, thinking about my sleeping family, I felt truly happy. But then I saw some weeds… and even more… all of a sudden I was as stressed as ever. And when I came in my husband was all upset, utterly angry, because he'd woke up by my alarm clock those 30 min earlier that he needed so badly. "No morning running!", he begged.

"No more early running", I said, and Thursday I decided to go when he got home from work, just before dinner. But I didn't find the time! As I promised myself to follow a very strict Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday schedule, there was no choice but to go when the kids were asleep. Which turned out to be at 10 pm.

The sky was magnificent, it was very calm and not too warm.

But after the shipyard (there are some pretty big boats there, have you seen?): way too dark, had to run by the houses. And honestly: just couldn't wait to get home. 

Still not certain if very early or very late running is to prefer?
Could the answer be: "none of the above"? But then: when will I ever be able to follow a schedule? In 15 years from now?

This week's workout:
Monday: 30 min London exercises.
Tuesday: 30 min running (and walking, because of the foot)
Wednesday: 40 min yoga
Thursday: 20 min fast running + London exercises

Friday: was invited to a five course lunch including champagne, had to take a long walk to get sober enough to drive home afterwards. Counts as exercise, doesn't it?

Saturday: countless hours of gardening to get this part of the garden look wild and relaxed the way you often see in England. It is so much more difficult than you'd think, and what a workout!  Totally sore, especially in but.

Sunday: 60 min running/walking to get the left foot started + London exercises.

Hope you're fine and that I get to see you soon, xxx C

Day 1 – A Very Special Day

Dear readers, today is a very special day. First, and most of all, it's the anniversary of G being a mother – today her eldest and so beautiful, talented and very special daughter is turning EIGHT. Already!
Hurray!
And today, this partly rainy and partly sunny day and incredibly beautiful in May – it is 100 days until MY eldest (beautiful, talented and special) daughter turns NINE!
How come we never figure this out before? Isn't it extremely strange that we have been doing those 100 days clubs every now and then since 2006, and never, ever realize there is 100 days between our eldest daughters birthdays?


Today is also by the day two months since my left foot had a surgery. Which, I think, explains about the last complete failure (to say something good about it: at least it was some kind of record – The Total Disaster 100 Days Club).


Had the surgery March 12, wasn't even allowed to walk for six weeks… And now, today, it is exactly one month until I am allowed to run again. I can tell you, I'm counting the days.

Today, however, I tried a little. Had decided to go for a fast walk, and then … I ran.
It seemed to be ok. So I ran a little further, walked, ran, walked, and ran a little further…
Even though I've been doing both Pilates and my London exercises those past two months I'm in as lousy shape you could imagine. But I'm on again!

Was so happy about that I immediately decided to start another 100 Days Club. It will be a tribute to our eldest daughters, called The 100 Days C to A Club.
Dear G, are you in?

A Terrific New Start

Dear Readers, while G was skiing and I spent my supposed sporty mid term vacation exercising mostly by showing my children museums, we were – again – starting a new 100 days club.

I also managed to get out "running" three times. The weather was, as you see, noting but terrific, but as I'm still coughing I've been a little careful.

A Non-Fab February: Cold, Colds and Cough

Dear Reader, I've been coughing my lungs out, coughing like it was my last days. It all started with an ordinary cold, early February, of course – the first day of the Furniture Fair. And then it just went on, kept on getting worse, turned into a bronchiole infection, wouldn't be cured by penicillin, or the many asthma and cough drops I've used. After a couple of weeks I was sure I had pneumonia, but, nope, the doctor said:

your muscles are sore from …coughing!

And yes, it was the flue, and no, I have no idea why they all the fuss about the flue two years ago, and barely even mentioned The Horrifying 2012 February Flue? People couldn't even get a doctor's appointment, because the doctors were all sick!

Apart from this misery the temperature kept falling. In this picture it's – 20°C, which means both -4°F – and that no one, not even brave 100 Days Clubs members, if there were any sane, would go out.

So we took a sane decision, G and I, postponed, and now… Celebrating that February 2012 is … over and out!

ps If my husband ever reads this: Yes, I enjoyed your birthday, yes, I admit that Winter is beautiful, yes, I shall not complain over low temperatures next winter, yes, I'm grateful for all your sympathy – and I love you!

Day 4 – 31 Soup Month!

Dear G, almost a month has passed and I know you think I didn't blog much.
But I kind of did… though I didn't. Which means: I've had our club in mind, every day, and I've taken plenty of pics. Also wrote a lot. I just didn't post it.

For example: I was quite affected by the New York Times article you recommended, How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body. Tried to answer it under the title Grief Over A Lost Love, but it turned into an essay, except with no conclusion. It would have be easy to answer it like this: yoga is about balance. Those who exaggerate their poses and train so much that they get hurt haven’t understood what yoga is about.

Yoga people talk about the power of vanity and the power of laziness, how they work against each other and the importance of finding balance between them. Don’t compete, as competitions open the door to a number of bad feelings; jealousy, envy, hate, resignation and depression. We are against that, right?

But then again, I’ve heard similar stories before. My yoga teacher often told me about Gurus who do the Lotus Pose six hours a day, until they literary can't walk.

So yes, there is something about yoga that makes people… loose their minds. But why?

Also interesting: many of the poses they mention in the article are the ones that London has forbidden me to do. Like Supported Shoulder Stand… how I used to love it … This is also the reason why I don’t feel the same way about yoga. Even if yoga helped me to build strength and partly got rid my pain, it also made the rotation of my spine worse. It’s like a boy friend who’s been unfaithful. Even if you decide to forgive… the magic is gone.

I really would like to find a new yoga… Something like Pilates, giving both strength and flexibility, but with harmony and flow I got from yoga and still get from running…

Something like… yoga.

About January: I call it the Soup Month. Apart from that it would mean something like "the sloppy month" if you translate Soppmånad from Swedish (which it is):

January is cold.

We're all short of cash.

There are so many bills to pay … and look at the world economy.

This is what we can afford:

Soup! People without time & money: SOUP WILL SAVE YOUR DAY! AND LIFE! This one is the French old Créme Vichyssoise, but updated with lime and coriander.

January 2012 the lack of time was worse than ever. At the office, we have loads of work. Furniture Fair is coming up, everything has to be ready, clients have no patience.

January 12: first hearing test.
And of course: kids are sick. And even if they're not, and don't have to stay home, they do need to visit all kinds of doctors. As all doctors seem to think that January is a great month for yearly check ups. It is the family doctor, the eye doctor, the ear doctor, the asthma&allergy doctor. And every time I get panic about being so much away from the office, I hear a doctor saying: “please come back for some more tests”.

January 25: second hearing test. Now they take a look at the inner ear's function.

And apart from the children's appointments, I’ve seen a couple of doctors myself, and both had x-ray and ultra sound. But no, I'm not pregnant and my only baby is: the new School Library.

But I have another New Year’s Resolution I haven't told you about: to eat and cook more Korean food!

I believe that Korean food is more healthy than any other kitchen in the world. Or, actually, I've read it, a long time ago in Time Magazine, and with the new standards about what's healthy or not it may have changed, but it may also have re-changed. But to explain why, and how it is supposed to be healthy, I'd have to write another essay.

So for now: a picture from a rare occasion, a Friday night I went out, to a Korean restaurant! In town! With two female friends/collegues, both without children. Had great fun and ate Korean Raw Steak Tartar. IT IS SO DELICIOUS, I only regretted I didn't have it both for entrée, main course and dessert.

A couple of days later, alone with the kids, still inspired: Korean meatballs. My children love Korean meatballs and I love them.

So far, I've kept my New Year Resolution about eating sea weed once a week. One Friday was almost sure I would not make it, but then my youngest and I were invited to a Mom&Kids Friday dinner. I (not my daughter) was served Champagne, Caviar from Kalix, Sushi… and SEA WEED!

Also wanted to post you something about the importance of eating fish, and I will eventually. Salma Salmon from Norway, did you try that? Delicious with saffron bulgur, lime, grape fruit, rocket and sugar snaps:

Or with saffron sauce. And this Sunday dinner no organic Apple Juice, just

water!

And before you say that this is turning into a food blog, I'll tell you a little something about my Soup Month training. My main focus has been to follow the London exercise schedule. Which means 30 min of exercises next to the wall bars, every night – as soon as the kids are in bed.

After that I turn the sheets down and go to bed with a novel… which means that my New Years resolution to watch more TV… is as big a flop as ever. How does people find time to watch TV? Beats me, but, proud to say, I've also been skating!

And walk-running! Or should I say run-walking?

But best of all: swimming at the Centralbadet. Makes me believe that Soup Month has and end and soon there will be summer! Also in my garden!