Grumman the Handsome

It´s been a very busy time, yet we´re still waiting around for the winter to release it´s grip on our garden so we can get stuck in there. Waiting for warmer weather to roll in as I am itching for adventure. I want to go canoeing, hiking, camping, cycling etc. Until then we will keep ourselves amused with movies and roadtrips in sunny weather. And sitting around with our cute and cuddly kitty

How a South African can survive a Swedish winter

It's a question I get asked by a lot of Swedes, and even by a few incredulous South Africans.  I think these pictures give clear indication how I survive.

A few hours of sunshine in Stockholm can make up for weeks of grey weather.  When the sun does come out, it's sure to be a stunner of a day because Sweden is just that beautiful.

And no, we didn't use the picnic table.  Instead we had our hot chocolate in the car, then came out to take a few more photos before the sun sunk too low.

See my Flickr stream for more photos of winter fun in the sun.

Norrland - Årrenjarka

Sweden - the land of lakes and forests.  Such a stunning place - Årrenjarka.  Wish we lived closer to it.  I want to go camping here some sunny day.  We'll fish in the lakes and cook food around the campfire, like we did in 2011, but hopefully in warmer times

Sunrise over Globen

Pretty sunrise (at 8:00).

Pink Grass in Älvdalen

The busyness of business

It's been ages since I have had time to blog. Now I'm on a day's leave and finally sitting down for a few quiet moments. My head has been full of work for months now. There are too many projects going on. Too much inter office politics and bickering going on. I got too caught up in the GTD mindset. I find it causing so much agitation. This is because I'm not doing it properly, which leads to increased agitation. So I'm putting the GTD aside for a while. Important things will be dealt with as they appear. If they're not important then they will be dealt with when they get important. I will keep a few tricks from GTD going, like writing down all things I need to do and doing the weekly review. For those interested I do my work weekly review on Wednesdays and my personal one on Sunday mornings. Yes I keep them separate - otherwise I get sick at home thinking about all the office work I can't do and vice versa. Previously I've been a person who can switch off as solon as I leave the office. That is the state I am aiming for again. I do not live to work. I live to live! Instead of focussing on how busy I am I'm going to try and focus on doing the things that I find refreshing. So I'm hoping to invite lots of people over for informal meals. No fancy meals and tough if the house is not magazine style tidy. A clean house that reflects our busy lives in the occasional piles of clutter is just how it's going to be. You won't get sick coming to my place, but you might sneeze a bit. But that could be your fault for being allergic to my cat. :) We've just had a visit from our circuit overseer. Straight after our circuit assembly. While very tiring these two things have been a source of encouragement and motivation. I gleaned lots of tips and I hope to incorporate some into my daily life soon. I was also reminded of the things I am doing right. In a day and age where there is so much pressure to be the perfect wife, the perfect career woman, the perfect you name it - it was high time I was reminded that there are a few things that I am doing right. My plan now is to slowly start adding things one at a time. It takes time to build up a new habit and I don't want to break any of my existing ones by taking on too much at once. Time for dinner. The weather in Stockholm has been stunning today, so a break (BBQ/grill) is in order. Fire up the Weber, DH! It's grilled chicken with home made tzatziki and a greek salad for supper.

Current obsessions

Music
The Piano Guys - Beethoven's 5 Secrets
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (especially Heart Attack - on my gyming/jamming mix)
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
Simple Song - The Shins
David Garrett - November Rain

Food
Yummy pasta salads galore this week for lunch.  I had left over supper for lunch today and I was so disappointed...missed my pasta salad
Otherwise I'm feeling a little uninspired food wise...but spring is temptingly close along with lots of awesome braai food again
Oh yes, and I tried my hand at cooking both Fillet Steak (melt in the mouth tender, very mild flavour) and Rump Steak (yum, yum, chew, chew...)  I think I can cook Fillet Steak really nicely now (smokey hot griddle pan coated with sugar & butter (!), seal the outsides, put on a place cover in tin foil and rest a few minutes in a slightly warmed oven).  But the Rump Steak needs trying again - pity it's such a difficult cut to find in Sweden.

Technology
My new "little" point and shoot camera  - a Samsung WB690 "super zoom" camera
I saw a real life Asus Zenbook last weekend - lust at first sight!  Only question is which colour?

Clothing
I love wearing this jersey (I have it in this colour and in black)

Cardigan - från H&M

http://www.hm.com/se/s/02FPGV

En lång cardigan i trikå med struktur. Fickor fram.

www.hm.com

Beauty Products


The Body Shop - White Musk Libertine
This is my spring/summer scent for 2012.  I've even splurged and bought the matching shower gel and body lotion!

I've also signed up for a monthly Glossy Box.  My first one arrived this week.  It's got some really lovely products to try out - even two full size samples!  Definitely got my money's worth this month.