Chinese tea

Making up for lost time. Months since we spent time together all three of us. Where to start? We are all in different places, we know so much about each other yet the dynamics have changed. Don't know if we are looking to re-establish what was or adjust to what is.

Dinner with the girls

Workshop

My office this morning. Old fashioned board room, old fashioned meeting. Is this really the best way to run a meeting? Sixteen people listening to a presentation with minimum amount of interaction as time is running out. Just wondering.

My session has still not started and my fee is ticking while listening to the presentation which has now run over for one hour and fifteen minutes.

Tea and cake

Old lady warning... A Monday afternoon in a patisserie is not really comme il faut when you are considering yourself a high performing professional. My excuse? Too early for my wax appointment, in between meetings and prepping for this week's workshops. (By the way, the waxing neutralises the old lady warning sign and the prawn salad at lunch compensates for cake calories, no?)

Words are not enough

Nurturing nature

If heaven was on earth, this is where it would be.

Working in paradise

Making up for yesterday's escape through one hundred percent focus on next week's workshop. Then back to weekend activities: a long walk with Adorable and baby M and coffee in the garden. All while the sun does its best to transform white legs into something slightly more attractive.

Summer and day off

Lilacs are in full bloom and escaping the city to take advantage of their sweetness, the sun and a day off was today's best decision.

Expensive Springsteen

I now know how much of the ticket fee that Bruce Springsteen demands before he even considers if a venue is worthy of his appearance. I also know that show jumping is much more profitable than any concert, even if the artist is not as greedy as Mr Springsteen. The grass for football is imported from Holland and a the sound system of Stockholm's new arena is even better than Wembely stadium.

Visiting a building site to see how a new arena is built from scratch proved to be more interesting than I imagined.

And the answer is ninety five percent.

A day at work

Leaving the office for a visit to another world.

Not too bad

A walk in the sun after a morning with favourite hairdresser. Now leaving Adorable to the same treat while Baby M spends her morning snooze with godmother. Who wants to work when the summer has finally arrived?

Silver for my feet

 

It only took five minutes and then they followed me home. But really, they have been on my wishlist since my first time at the Royal Ascot (oh yes, I hear what that sounds like). And for just as long, they have had an earmarked place in my wardrobe. Finally, a missing piece can be added to my shoe collection.

Some people collect stamps, others collect fine wine or art. I collect shoes. Afterall, my granddad had a shoe store.

Family

Waiting for youngest goddaughter to arrive! Now part of my extended family.

Lunch recommended

The unwelcome commuting following clients in the suburbs was today counterbalanced by an unexpected lunch. One major advantage brought on by diversity in the suburbian shopping area is a lunch restaurant with a fantastic cold buffet. Pick your own salad; choose between tabbouleh, fried aubergine, feta cheese, falafel and hummus in addition to regular salads. For half the price of what you pay for the boring pasta salad that you get at the cafés in the city.

Unglamorous

Life as a commuter to the suburbs: Miss a train and try not to be ran over by other commuters while waiting for quarter of an hour for the next one.

I've already used up the energy I charged during the morning yoga session. Makes me greatful to know that I'm only a guest commuter and won't be doing this for very long.

Reminder to self: be extra grateful to clients located in the city. Or in London.

Back to the morning routine

How you choose to spend the first fifteen minutes (or if you have longer, even better) when you wake up will impact the rest of your day. To be and not do. To feel and not judge. Pay attention to what is, not what was or what is going to be.

I'm going to try it for a week. Wake up, get up and spend the first fifteen minutes doing nothing. May be I will have a cup of tea while doing nothing. After doing nothing, a sun salutation or something gentle to stretch the body. The whole point is that it's only fifteen minutes so time is not an excuse not to do it.

If I compare this to what I've been doing the last month: getting up, checking messages and emails (even before tea or coffee), having breakfast, answering emails (before finishing breakfast), I think a different discipline would be healthy. 

In fact, I feel the difference already.

This is very nice

All of a sudden it happens. Best when not planned. A flat to ourselves, Saturday lunch and champagne. Quality time with Lovely L.

Friday treats

In all its simplicity, special tea and some sweets from favourite department store in Stockholm.

Mind

This is new. Watch out not only for children and elderly, but also for romantic couples. I guess they can be at risk when they stroll around ignorant of the world (or bikes in this case) around them.

Talk somebody to sleep

"I fell asleep to your soothing voice."

A piece of feedback that wouldn't have been a compliment during the first part of my day, but just right for the second part. Conference room Vs yoga room.

Ten minutes here and there

A moment for a barista made latte and levain in the morning just before catching the commuter train.  Browsing the stationery store, picking up a few bits and bobs on the way back from lunch. Small breaks in the otherwise packed day. Finally, landing on the couch with a glass of Zinfandel and a movie. Because I'm worth it.

Where is the time to do nothing?

From the yoga shala to the office, from the office to the lunch meeting, from the city to the suburb, from the suburb to the city and back to the yoga shala. One of those days filled with variety. It's just a bit too much of everything and not even variety is that helpful then. All happening while spring is adding colour everywhere I look.

No words, no time, no energy

When there is so much to say but the words, the time and the energy are missing. That's probably when  the need to stop and reflect is the biggest. When taking time to find the words would give more energy than it takes. But right now the threshold is enormous. And tomorrow morning's class is waiting to be prepared. Inspiration for a theme? May be just that. Stop and reflect.

Playing in the park

Not expected

A surprise message from somone from the past. Facebook easily breaks down the otherwise invisible barriers to make contact. Not even then were we that close, so a lunch just the two of us will be interesting. Have we really got that much to talk about? Why now and not then? I don't know, but I'm sure I will find out eventually.

Miss P

 

From the first letter I got from my oldest goddaghter I was surprised how well she could write. The neatest cursive writing. There is something in the English school system which we seem to be missing in Swedish schools and somehow Swedish children don't learn this until much later, if at all.

Now it's her younger brother writing immaculate thank you letters, even addressing me with Miss. A sweet little gentleman!

Hard working

Three clients, three different locations, three very different topics. This is why I like my job as a consultant. There just isn't one company where all these three topics exist at the same time.

Now time to continue celebrating the arrivial of spring with a glass of rosé. A perfect activity whilst waiting for two calls that are long due. And no, it's not an option to make them. Only to receive them.