Blended bliss

Impromptu is gooooood!

Random is good and bliss ain’t half bad either!

I’ve been so extraordinarily happy the last week and Easter was one long wonderful weekend that was like heaven, to me, so I just have to give you another post of it!

I can’t remember ever feeling happier than I did these Easter days and I went all in, enjoying, feeling and watching my loved ones smiling.

Love our old, lovely town!

The Boy loves his Coke.

Happy with the egg!!

Even the candy were good.

Remember the impromptu (gosh, how I love that word!) visit I and my son paid the new neighbors?

Well, it paid off, big time, and The Boy played numerous hours with the little sweet girl in the family. Sometimes things sure do work out well and it was the only thing that was kind of missing in our neighbourhood: a friend living nearby that The Boy can walk over to within seconds (and run around together with, looking totally excited and energetic!).

So, such a neighbor: check! (*sigh of relief*)

In the neighbors' garden, playing.

The Boy invites the new friend to jump!

Wii-game-time.

Time for cookies!

You can understand why this makes mommy happy?!

Son and mother plays with....odd things.

The sun

The sun was no stranger and I made sure to socialize with it. It’s astonishing, really, that sunshine can affect you so much. Sunshine affects our whole country and we all become different people during the summer months.

Will Smith sure was right when he concluded (in "Summertime") that:

“School is out and it’s sort of a buzz

a back then I didn’t really know what it was

but now I see what have of this

the way that people respond to summer madness”

I especially enjoyed snuggling with my cute dog in the grass, in the sun. He looked so happy, wagging his tale “talking” with his cute sounds and rolling about. Bliss!

The dog snutting his own snutting-blanket. Licking it first - all by the book.

It's obvious the dog enjoys himself in the sun.

I can see the strong love in these eyes. No doubt he loves me a lot.

Promise

I solemnly declare that I’ll enjoy all my summer days this much. In fact, I promise to give it my absolute best shot! I think chances are better than “good” since I’ll be capturing them with the camera and posting them here. Some weird how that shapes me up and lets me focus more.

So, watch out – I’ll be having a terrific summer!

For some of that Yin and Yang, Kelle reminded us about some days ago, I can add an extra plea to all of you: grasp every moment. Don’t argue with the husband if you can avoid it.

This weekend I found out that horror has happened to the sweet family that sold our house to us. They still live nearby and as my son played in the playground with their kids, the grandfather told me that the dear daddy in the family is broken down with cancer. Small chances to live through it.

As much as it shocked me and made me devastated for them (they’re truly wonderful people), it reminded me harshly to keep focus where it ought to be: on here and now and on all that’s good. Nobody knows what tomorrow brings.

So: go out there and capture this day. I sure will give it a try and I won’t sweat the small stuff – not a chance!

Enjoying the colours and the blooming.

Will never sweat small stuff again. Never ever. Life's too short and too precious.

Loads of love to all of you. Have a special weekend.

"The sunny side of the street"

Metamorphoses
Changing, evolving, developing - call it what you will but it keeps happening, whether you like it or not. The last couple of weeks, or maybe months, I've been feeling it clearly: I'm changing. Ever so softly, warmly and gracefully (at least I'd like to tell myself that!). I'm turning into this Me 4.0 I joked about in december.
It's not the age-thing it's something else.

Turning 30 I was in another phase: I was finally gathering some confidence up to start feeling like maybe I was competent, maybe I did well at work and maybe I could have a career.
Six years later I got my first position as a leader.

At 39 I got my second position as a leader and funnily somehow now the private me wants to get some attention again. Go figure!
I'm cherishing some other things these days.

I love my work and I feel good knowing I take it to the max every day - couldn't ever have it any other way - but more stuff are starting to spin up in this 40 year old mind...

Spinning on end: the love in my boy's eyes <3

Spinning for sure: The Boy and the dog: hectic, intense and energetic folks..!

These flowers are april bloomers i.e. early bloomers. I, myself, must be ranked something of a late bloomer.

As you plainly see - this IS the sunny side of the street.

Sunny side.

The finishing line
Who knows what will be at the finishing line? You get more confidence for each year, making all sorts of mistakes and making all sorts of goals.
If my 20-30 was about staying alive, giving my absolute everything keeping my son as safe as I possibly could and 30-40 was about career and mending a trashed confidence, then what will my 40-50 consist of?
And my 50-60?

Isn't life exciting?!

Who'd have thought being 40 would also mean walking on the sunny side of the street?

People in my country in full bloom in the fantastic weather.

This one has been blooming since day 1.

And I much rather bloom late than never, taking a well deserved stroll on the sunny side of the street.

"Grab your coat and snatch your hat, leave your worries on the doorstep.
Just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street.
Can't you hear that pitter pat and that happy tune in your step.
Life can be so sweet on the sunny side of the street".

A Miami Easter

The neighborhood
I'm tenatious - or so the hubs would say anyhow - in my effort to become some kind of part of the neighborhood. First there was the gardening day of cleaning the area and one day I grabbed The Boy by the hand and we went the ten steps over to one of his little friends from pre school living stupidly close by. We were warmly welcomed and stayed for a while to chat in the hot sun.

Yes, it's hot like Miami here this Easter!

While The Boy stayed to play on, I went on to tend to all the weed that also started growing in the warm spring weather. "Weeding" I got greetings from a few passing neighbors and some stayed to chat also. All kinds of ages and people. They made me really happy by doing it!

I find these efforts absolutely mandatory since we live here now and need to become a part of this society. Our coastal town is an old town and a town that's highly regarded by the people and families that have lived here for generations, so fraternizing is a hard task to conquer. It's not impossible but kind of close to it.

And I love a challenge!
(The Boy kept playing with his new neighborhood friend all Easter after this rather shameless impromptu visit of ours, which goes to show that you have to gamble some to win some!)

Boy, did we have fun colouring those eggs!

Some quality game time, father and son.

The Boy is happy with the arrangement.

He now almost masters the egg eating business. Not to perfection yet, but then it's a difficult art!

Looking very cute, giving it his best shot.

Timeless
What a good Good Friday it was! I cherish a new thing lately and that is being timeless. I adore the weekends and the fact that I'm not booked every single hour or has loads of appointments and meetings. No train times to keep, no nothing to keep, come to think of it. And I love it!
I go all in, in this new thing: I'll sit in the sun with my sunglasses and just enjoy, I'll have another cup of coffee, another popsicle.
I never wear a watch and I pride myself on not checking what time it is. It's like being in a fab novel or in a movie or on vacation at a tropical island!
Or, why not in Miami, for that matter?!!

The Grape plant hasn't started growing yet but we're eagerly waiting now, since the buds recently showed up!

Time to chill, being timeless, for one and all.

Walking to a favorite place of ours, for a brand new Easter tradition.

This lovely woman always shows the way, whether it be winter, spring or summer!

So, we're there and ready to enjoy live music and the unbeatable atmosphere there.

Timeless and worryless.

Easter at our favorite café!

Scents
I wish I could save scents the way I save images with the camera! I'd then offer you the amazing scents of all the spring flowers blooming right now 'cuz they really knock me off my feet. Even the fresh scent of the new grass growing is adorable. I take it all in and I have the wits about me to appreciate it all.
Do you know what? I saw a bumble bee and a bee in a fight the other day, walking to a meeting. I kid you not, they were rolling about fighting, buzzing loudly. I'm thrilled to be able to report that they ended it all in peace and flew their separate ways, afterwards.
And being in that frame of mind, open for nature around me, is a goal I try to keep during my workdays, these days. I'm really adamant about being present every single day, come work day or rest day.

This is a boy on the hunt for scents for his mother. Bless his heart!

These lovelies are tender art aswell as strong scent. Daisies.

He stashed them in his cap, the lovely little flower boy.

If we didn't drag him away, he'd still be there picking..!

Using both hands.

Now both the kitchen and living room are filled with sweets scents and adorable looking flowers, thanks to The Boy.

I wish you a great week! May the wonderful weather stay...