Smiles...

I am thankfull for this week, that began desastrous and ended on smiles, smiles smiles, so beware, this is a long post!

My friend Majka made me smile, during our probably twelve hour long talk that stretched over two days, we touched every subject I could think of, and even though it didn´t exactly began on a light note, after hours sipping hot tea and smoking cigarettes on her porch I felt a lot lighter than before. There is nothing better than friends, this is what I had in mind with the line from that old John Mayer song - Nils, did you google it, or did you really, actually know it?

The green fields behind our house made me smile, and watching my kids run and dance and roll and giggle in the grass. It´s a place I just found out we almost never want to leave. Really, my twins asked me if they were allowed to carry their mattresses out there to stay there for the night. Well, it´s quite rainy here around these days, so that´s out.

Glen, I also had to smile at the beautiful curiosity in your question. The grass is that long because it´s actually supposed to be eaten by cattle. The farmer leaves it untill it is really, really long, and then, around October, cuts it when the weather forecast says it will be dry for a few days. When the grass dried in the sun, he collects the hay, bundles it up and uses it to feed his cattle during the winter. But untill then, it´s ours to play in :) And, even though I can´t compete with your photographic skills, here´s a shot especially for you:
And walking through it also cleans your shoes better than anything else:
I also had to smile, well more than smile, about the pure joy I felt harmonizing to Men of snow and The Climb while doing my daily work. Just picture me folding laundry, window wide open, singing at the top of my lungs :) I feel like (next to, of course, friends), there´s nothing to lift you up and touch your heart and change you like music does. I also taught myself how to play the climb, and I taught Eva how to join me with her violin:I literary had to kiss her feet to convince her, but she really enjoys it now and is proud she managed it. And you should have seen her stunned face when I did it: Kissed her on her tiny stinky socks :)

I had to smile about the creativity and enthusiasm my twins put into building a garage:

I had to smile when I read in the library this week, two times, epecially about the little boy who´s birthday it was and who was so thrilled when I showed him how to fold a paper boat, as a surprise gift.

I had to smile when Tim showed me how to dance a few more moves he learned in our living room.

I had to smile when I picked Ronja up at school and found her dancing under the falling leaves, trying to blow them up again into the air, and I also had to smile when she spontaniously undressed and decided to live in a tree for a while:

I could go on and on and on, but finally, how could you not smile at this:

So, my song for today, or this week, is Regina Spektor again:This is so true, and dense, and lovely. I guess you could also interpret it in a negative way. Like, you don´t feel anything at all. However, I refuse to go with this interpretation. I think it´s about getting better. I wish you all to feel kissed on your sore spots next week :)