Monday On A Saturday.

Today I am at work. That is an odd feeling indeed, as I never work Saturdays. No, Saturdays are spend tending to my house and patios, sharing lovely pictures of my garden with you. But not this Saturday. My scheduled weekend has become very unscheduled, but it is all my own doing.

You see, I have a plan. A cunning one, may I add. Today it is raining cats and dogs (what a weird expression that is indeed) and as the weather forecasts predict sunny skies on Monday, I have switched my days around. Thus I will take Monday off.

It is quiet here, no one around. There is a certain tranquility that has settled over an otherwise busy lab. I actually enjoy being here.

Well, I would have actually a lovely day was it not for one thing; the fact that my lab computer had a melt down. It is a mac and even though I am a devoted Apple fan, I have to say this out loud: I HATE that computer. It keeps giving me a blue screen and has overall been very unstable. Thus I am writing this post on a PC. And that is not going all too well, I am afraid, as the computer feels very alien to me indeed.
Therefore while I wait for my electrophoresis to finish, I have decided to post answers to questions that were given to me by the lovely Mel at MELROXX in a recent tag. I have to say she impressed me with the quality of her inquiries, presented by such a young mind.

Thus dear Mel and everyone else interested, here are my answers:

1) What is your philosophy?
My philosophy. I guess that would mean by which wisdom do I live. That has changed a great deal over the years. But one has resonated with me more than any other. Although I find it very hard to follow, the following Serenity Prayer to me eloquently defines the art of living a fulfilled life:

"God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference."

2) If you could be any age again for one week, what age would you be?
This was such a great question, as I realized I am unable to answer it. Initially, I thought immediately; I would love to be twenty again! But after further contemplation I came to the conclusion that my life at twenty was quiet a struggle in every way, not to mention I felt lost and uncomfortable, trying to figure out who I was. Neither would I like to be back in my thirties, as that decade was preoccupied with painful realization of becoming older and stuck in a life I did not enjoy. I guess bringing back time only works if one has regrets. I have none.

3) Who is your fashion icon?
Women that dare to be themselves, through out their life.

4) What was the best moment of your life?
There are so many unforgettable moments as I call them. To single out just one can not be done. I love to revisit them in my mind, as I have one for every year at least.

5) Do you enjoy spending hours shopping or do you try to get over with it as fast as possible?
I used to enjoy going on shopping sprees as a young adult. Those could last for hours, I literally shopped till I dropped. These days I shop online, and although I do enjoy browsing the sites, I will get it done quiet fast.

6) Something you can't get to throw out of your wardrobe is ...
I can never throw anything out, thus I have my basement filled with boxes of old clothes.

7) What is your least favourite household chore?
Vacuum cleaning. I detest that, I dislike everything about it, least of all the smell.

8) A movie that you could never forget.
A few comes to mind, but having to chose just one, it has to be Only You with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. Even though my favorite movie of all times is Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet.

9) What is your favorite part of a day?
The dawn, even though I very rarely get to experience it. Although I love watching sunsets, sunrises have a very positive feel about them. They signify new beginnings. On the few occasions that I have been up at the crack of dawn, I relished in the stillness of the world, and in the idea of having the whole day new and pristine waiting to be seized. I simply love the notion that anything can yet happen, as the magic of the new day awaits.

-Optional- Which cartoon character do you resemble?
I have been asked this question before and I will answer as I have previously; none.

Anyone who loves these questions and would love to have a go at them, please be my guest. I am sure Mel would not mind.
Now I am going back to my experiments; I trust you are all having a lovely Saturday.

My Cherry Laurel.

Today is a windy, chilly spring day. Clouds are moving across the sky with incredible speed and being outside is anything but pleasant.
This is in such a contrast to yesterday, in fact to the whole week, which was sunny and relatively warm. Typically, as soon as weekend arrives, the weather shifts.

The skies are covered by clouds, but devoid of anything else. The air space is completely clear and has been over 48 hours. Due to the presence of volcanic ash in the atmosphere, almost all airports in Northern Europe (Denmark included) are closed and all airplanes are grounded. This is the largest shut down of airspace in Europe ever.

I decided that today I would prune my Cherry Laurel. This beautiful shrub is my pride and joy. It lines my front patio, a beautiful, serene spot where the morning sun offers tranquil moments while I sip my morning coffee.
It consists of four plants - two planted in the autumn of 2004 and two additional ones in spring 2005. They were barely 40 cm long at that point and has since then grown beyond recognition. I love these evergreens, that are luscious and green year around. Comes May, they bloom with fragrant white flowers.

Unfortunately, the hardest winter on record has severely affected this resilient plant. In March I noticed many leaves were turning brown and by last week this frost damage became very palpable. This is to be expected, as we had subzero temperatures for months at end this winter.
I remembered with joy the beauty of the cherry laurel just a year ago. It was at it's most magnificent, the growth was tight and strong, the plant was extremely healthy. Today it looks week and fragile.
I trimmed it back quiet drastically, particularly the oldest plants, hoping that this will spur its growth once again, making it as stunning and striking as it was last year.

April Awakening.

Today is a simply gorgeous day. A glorious spring day, when the nature is celebrating the return of life, as it renews itself, gaining energy from the warmth of the vital sun.

Even thought the air is cold, the northern wind has brought dry air and pristine blue skies. It feels as a true onset of the summer season is no longer a distant, at times unreal destination.

I removed my garden furniture from its winter storage this morning, making my front, east facing patio much more inviting suddenly - a perfect spot for a morning cup of coffee. In the process of restoring it back to its rightful glory and place, I noticed that April has brought a true awakening to my surroundings. Daffodils are now in full bloom at last and all the bushes and trees are displaying the first buds and shoots.

In a few weeks, the first green hue will cover all the shrubs, signifying the culmination of the spring season.

Heart On Fire.

It is cold, it is snowing and more snow is on the way. So, I can either decide to be really upset about that or choose to ignore the weather all together.

I am opting for the later, going into a weekend of hibernation with Batcat - this includes good books, relaxing music, feel good movies, comfort food and of course - cosy fire.

The below is what my Saturday fire looks like. Perhaps even if you can not feel the real heat, you can get a virtual joy from it. After I filmed the clip, I noticed that one of the logs looks a lot like a heart - how very appropriate for the occasion.

And to those of you who actually do decide to watch the below, look for Batcat appearance about seven seconds into the clip - at least in sound, showing his approval of the fire.
We are wishing everyone a lovely weekend and a happy Valentines Day tomorrow.

Midwinter.

We have passed mid January and according to the calender, we have reached midwinter. We are halfway there; a very pleasant notion to ponder.
Although spring will most likely not arrive in March, in about one and a half month, its imminence will at least be in the air.

Right now, my terrace displays absolutely no life signs. Every plant seems lifeless, like sleeping beauty awaiting awakening. Even the evergreens look sad, affected by the cold, covered by icy snow. Last January we had an average temperature of about 8C (46F). This year we have not reached temperatures above freezing for more than a few hours and are heading towards the coldest January in more than twenty years.

The only place to be is tucked away safely in front of the fire with a hot cup of chocolate and a good book. And Batcat.
Wishing you all a lovely Saturday.

Calendar Photographs.

Today I removed my coffee table set that I keep on my front terrace and placed it in our shed for the winter, where it will stay until spring. This signifies that the season of warm days has ended and that very soon, we will receive the first frost.

I will also sort all my photographs which I have taken over the course of this year and decide which ones to to use for the creation of my calendars. In mid October, I create 3 small table calenders; one for my parents, one for my aunt and for myself. I have done this for the past 3 years and it seems to be a hit among my relatives.
Interestingly, the word calendar is derived from the Latin word kalendae, which is the Latin name of the first day of every month. I had no idea that the first day in each month was significant enough to have term of its own.

As I type this, it slowly getting dark outside. Not only do days loose the heat, they are also loosing light by each passing week. Once we reach the end of this month, the onset of the dark period will envelop Scandinavia once again.

Autumn Feeling.

And so it has begun. Within a week, the autumn truly did arrive. Summer has left for good and there is no trace of it left, I am afraid. What a difference a week can make. The air is filled with scent of burning firewood and additional mix of earthy scents, that are so significant of this season. Even though it is still warm, the breeze carries golden leaves and the sun lies ever so low over the horizon.
It is time to light a fire in my fireplace, poor myself something strong and golden and spend a lazy Saturday evening with a good book and reminiscence about the sunny days, that will return first in almost a year.

Summer Finale.

A beautiful Indian Summer week is ending with an equally stunning sunny weekend. The air is still, the sky blue and the sun is shining.
However - it is not summer any longer. The sun has lost significantly in strength and with its position low on the horizon, it no longer warms up my terrace. Already in the middle of the day, it hides behind a row of birch trees, emerging first an hour later, to cast its final rays upon my windows.

This Summer Finale is certainly a beautiful time of the year. I love summers endlessly, but the early onset of autumn holds a definite magic of its own. It brings a certain tranquility and soothing serenity. Watching the nature winding down slowly as the rich summer retreats is contagious.

As with any seasonal transitions, there is a feeling of anticipation of a change in the air...

Relaxing Autumn Saturday.

Autumn has arrived and there is no way back. It has been a very rainy, windy and cold first week of September. Although the 1st of this month has been written into history as the warmest September day ever, the first week of this month must certainly has a record of its own, but a less flattering one.

In some way, Saturdays like these are also very cosy. Sitting in front of the fire, with a hot cup of coffee, while looking through my old photographs, holds a certain magic, I admit.
Batcat of course enjoys these quiet afternoons. He certainly knows how to relax and it is always highly contagious. As soon as I light the fire, he makes himself comfortable in front of the fireplace, falling asleep on the sheep skin. That is of course after he has hunted enough raindrops on the window pane and observed the world outside for a while. A very exhausting task, if you are a cat.

We are wishing everyone a very relaxing Saturday afternoon.

Late August Saturday.

The weather has turned very unstable, making it feel more like April than August. It rains heavily one minute, while the sun shines the next, making the air hot and cold, in a fast, alternate manner.
This is the first Saturday for a while that I am spending entirely inside. I am back to my "Lazy Saturday Afternoon" with a good cup of coffee, Batcat relaxing languidly at my feet and a couple of good magazines, which I have not had time to read yet. As I am reading, once in while I lean back to watch the rain pounding at the window pane, followed by the sun shining through the drops.

I love reading magazines and still today have two subscriptions; one is a fashion magazine and one is an interior decoration/culinary magazine. Both excellent and very inspiring. A perfect company for a rainy day.

Mandevilla Trellis.

A few days ago I purchased a new plant and I simply love it. It is a a climbing flower, resembling a vine with deep red flowers. Named Mandevilla, it seems to be sturdy and the blooms are abundant. It is always exciting with a new "living" addition to the household. I have placed it next to my entrance door, in a azure blue pot. It seems to thrive and makes the entrance look inviting.
Today is my fathers birthday; it has been many years since I have had the privilege to celebrate both my parents birthdays in their company. I am trying to enjoy the precious time we have together as much as I can.

I hope everyone is having a splendid Saturday.:)

Magma Stone.

I am really having a difficult time accepting that we are loosing light. Every passing day gets shorter, loosing more minutes to the night. It is unbelievable that already now we get one hour less daylight than a month ago.

However, that is the yearly cycle up here in Scandinavia and a natural way of things. I guess I am feeling the loss a bit more intensely this year, due to the absolutely horrid weather we are having. July has been terrible weatherwise; a total disappointment. We have received a lot of rain lately. Too much at this point and my flowers are not happy anymore. They need water but they also need the vital sunlight; without it they look sad and lifeless. They loose colour and become soggy and slowly wither away. Or rot away would be a better description.

There is one positive factor though, which makes up for the dark and rain. The early evenings bring back the candle light.
Yes, I love candles and I burn through hundreds of them in the winter season. In the summer most of them are forgotten in drawers and cabinets, but slowly, the need for them starts to return.

Yesterday evening I lit for the first time in several months a few candles here and there around the house. Among others, my "Magma Stone". A very unusual and so very intriguing candleholder, which I received from the students in the lab, when I turned forty a few years ago. A lovely gift and frequently in use in my white house on the hill.
Strikingly Scandinavian, its design is rugged and pristine, carved in a form of hollow lava stone, made out of dark clay with coloured (orange or yellow) inside. When the candle is placed inside the stone and lit, the stone resembles magma.

I have placed it high up in my kitchen, which is open and connected to my living room. When it gets dark, the stone glows orange and spreads a warm, almost magical light.

Rhapsody In Rain.

A Little Bit Of Everything.

I have once heard that a good day is a day when we laugh a little and cry a little. I have not really laughed or cried today, but the sky definitely has. It has been a very odd day weather wise, or perhaps maybe one should say it has been a normal Scandinavian summer day. Light years removed from the hot and sunny Saturday a week ago, today it has been more April like. We have had rain and sun, windy and wind still, blue skies and dark grey skies and temperature moving up and down on the scale.

In some way, I miss the tropical heat, but then again, as it has cooled down, I feel again up to moving around the house and finally get to do some gardening and much else that has been neglected around here for the past month or so. Sometimes even rainy summer days can have their benefits, which are mostly visible in the nature, that is once again green and fresh.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

It is hot. And I mean REALLY hot. This kind of hot I can not really recall from the decade that I have been living in Denmark.
It is impossible to be indoors, as my house is a furnace and outside the only relief can be found in the shade, where it is 32C (90F). And with 44C (111F) in the sun, it is a scorcher.

But I LOVE it. I love it completely and I wish for it to last. It brings back the memories of hot, humid air that I remember with joy from my years spend in North Carolina. And I miss that kind of weather on regular bases. However, everything good up here in the North last only a split second and already tomorrow, the weather will be turning for the worse.

This post is therefore short, as I have no energy to move, not even to write. Additionally I want to spend all the time I possibly can to soak up the sun and the beneficial heat. Instead I let the pictures below describe my Saturday, which is a one that I will recall very fondly in a few months.

But before I go, I would like to wish all of you, my American friends, a wonderful 4th of July!

Lunch For One.

Although I never set the table when I eat alone, there are exceptions. These occur during the special summer days, that once in while settle over Scandinavia, when the easterly winds blow from the dry continent, bringing sunshine and warm air. Summer arrived a whole two days too early this year and I am soaking up the heat it as much as I can. Therefore, today I enjoyed a late light lunch outside on my terrace, surrounded by the green plants and blooming hedge. And I set the table.

Life is all about small and simple pleasures.

The Season Of The Rhododendrons.

I am sitting outside while I type today's blog post and again this makes me marvel over the modern technology.
Today is what we might call a typical late spring day here in Scandinavia; westerly wind, blue skies filled with occasionally fluffy white clouds, which however bring chills if they cover the sun.

Today is also my nephews birthday, he will be seven years old. I recall it as it was yesterday when I boarded the train to take me to Switzerland in order to be there for my sister, when she was about to welcome the first grandchild of the family to the world.
He was born in late May, which is also the season of the blooming rhododendrons. These magnificent bushes explode with flowers almost over night. I am lucky to have a beautiful plant just outside my kitchen windows. During late May, every morning it offers me a view bursting with purple colours.

Nature In Bloom.

The unusually warm April has caused the nature to be about four weeks ahead of itself. Everything is in bloom - but in bloom in such a way I have never experienced before. All the flowers are large and in an unusual multitude. Everywhere I look, the tress, the bushes and the flowers are colourful, green and luscious.
Today is most likely the final day of the first truly warm and sunny period of this year. The relatively wind still and clear weather allowed me to spend a few serene hours outdoors.

The clip of Batcat below is dedicated to anyone who finds it difficult to relax on this Saturday.
Warning - it is highly contagious.:)

Moving Outside.

My Saturdays are always devoted to two activities; household chores and relaxation. My house is not big, but it is big enough for my two roommates and me. It is also just big enough to handle when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. I usually spend about four hours each Saturday morning on cleaning; I have gotten into a routine that barely changes. Even Batcat is familiar with it at this point. He is not very pleased when I am busy running around putting things into order and most of all, he hates when I am using that terribly loud and scary "animal" that vacuums anything in its way. He is not really scared of the vacuum cleaner, I think it mostly annoys him. I guess at this point he is somewhat aware of the fact that it is not dangerous and is mostly the noise he dislikes. Therefore he keeps his distance when it is in use.

After the house is clean I love to relax and the way I do it depend on the season. In winter, I love to sit in front of the fireplace listening to music reading magazines. However, in spring and summer, I move outside to my terrace. In the past few weeks, the unusually large amount of sunshine has made the garden green and the terrace is very serene and inviting. It is time to once again move outside and relax in the warmth of the spring sun. This Saturday we have had the record breaking 20C in the shade (around 68F). That is very unusual for a Scandinavian month of April and I am hoping this is a good indication of how the coming summer will turn out.

Summerlike Easter.

We have had a continuous string of warm days. It has been a rare two weeks, with sunny days and the occasional shower in the night. I can see the nature changing in front of my eyes. I love this time of the year, when every single morning I can look out onto my garden and see that something new has sprouted, in what seems, just over night.
We have had the warmest April beginning on record and also the warmest Easter on record as well.
Today I worked many hours trying to remove the weed on my front terrace; it is painstaking job as the terrace is tiled and in between the tiles something unwanted always grows. However, this year I truly enjoyed it as the weather was gorgeous.
I also took out my coffee table set; this usually means that summer is approaching fast.
Both my terraces are filled with ladybugs. I could not resist making a little collage of the many beautiful tiny red "pearls" that decorate my many flower beds and pots.
Hoping everyone is having a wonderful Easter weekend.