Twenty years later...

If we need any proof that we're getting older and time is flying by faster than ever, then it's been brought into very sharp focus for me over the last few days as I've been watching various TV shows, video clips and radio shows reminiscing about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Today the 20th anniversary of the opening of the East German border is being commemorated, and I know this sounds like an old cliche but it feels so recent and fresh in the memory.

I was very interested to read recently that although 20 years have passed since the barriers were broken down and the subsequent reunification of the 'two Germanys', there is still a vast difference between the standard of living in the east and west sides of the country. A business has grown up around the idea of 'Ostalgie' - nostalgia for some aspects of the old East German way of life - not the surveillance by the Stasi, but anything from food brands to Trabant cars to TV shows.

It may seem like a retro-chic trend, but for those who have not been dealt a good hand by the arrival of capitalism, unemployment and seeing their country being wiped off the European map, you may begin to understand why there's a genuine nostalgia for what they remember as the positive aspects of day-to-day life in their 'old country' - full employment and community spirit to name two.

20 years ago today. I think about people who are just reaching, say, their 20th birthday. They have grown up in a world where Europe wasn't divided by the 'iron curtain', no Berlin Wall, no German Democratic Republic, no Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia, no Soviet Union....it will all feel like distant history for them. A city divided by a wall? A continent divided by opposing ideologies? Seems unthinkable now, but the post-war/'Cold War' period of history should never be forgotten, and that we should always learn lessons from history. There may be no physical 'walls' now,or 'Iron Curtains', but the walls of nationalism and extremism are being built higher and higher across our continent. They're the walls that need to be knocked down, before it's too late.

07.11.09. That would be Sir Cliff then, singing Mistletoe and Wine.

It's here.

Just the other day I happened to mention that there hadn't been any Christmas songs on, during any recent bouts of retail therapy. Good.

Until today that is. I decided to head off to the big city on my own, as today was a bit of a research trip - checking out what's on offer a) to buy for Christmas presents and b) to suggest to Santa what I might like....anyway it was a bit of a marathon which took its toll, so I'll be having an early night and not blogging into 2am or thereabouts. It was a pretty successful and productive day: the Christmas shopping has officially begun.

Now I love Christmas, so don't think that you have a bah-humbug thing going on here, but I think there should be an embargo on Christmas songs being played in shops until, say, the beginning of December at least. At this time of the year I feel really sorry for those who work in the retail trade, being subjected to the same old musical classics/turkeys (delete where appropriate) year after year.

Anyway I went into BHS and was greeted by..."Christmas time, mistletoe and wine" and my heart immediately sank. That's it started now, there is no escape until 25.12.2009. There's a lot to be said for iPods.

Talking of which, I called mine into action on the bus home, as I had the world's loudest man sitting behind me, yelling into his mobile phone for the most part of the journey. The best part was that brief few moments of silence when he lost the signal..... :)))))

Yes the bath is full of seaweed, don't panic

I seem to be enjoying some little luxuries these days and why not? I've already developed an obsession with Yankee Candle wax tarts, which are highly fragranced blobs of wax which you put in the top of an oil burner, heat below with a tealight candle, the wax melts and your living space is suddenly filled with your aroma of choice. My favourites at the moment are too many to mention but I particularly love Cranberry Chutney. Home Sweet Home smells like cinnamon balls, if you remember them, Frosted Pumpkin smells like gingerbread, and tonight I'm trying out Black Cherry which also appeals to me as I love fruity/citrus smells.

Another thing I've recently got into: Lush bath ballistics, which are a very luxurious essential oil-filled alternative to bubble bath. However I probably won't buy the Big Blue again, purely for the fact that it's got seaweed through it, and leaves the bath in one great big seaweedy mess. At least Avobath and Blackberry are less messy. (I quite fancy some of their special edition Christmas range though, so watch this space) By the way, the Lush website tells us that it's only 53 sleeps to Christmas. A reassuring thought ....!

Something to look forward to!

My dream of making it back to Sweden to see Salem play live again next March has just got that little bit closer, as it looks as if there will be flights to and from Gothenburg from one of my local airports after all :)

I know it's tempting fate, mentioning and thinking about it so early when there could still be some obstacles in the way, but I want to make it happen the same way I did earlier this year.

And why not? Life's too short, and every day something happens to remind me of that, so I'm just going to do all the things I want to do, while I'm reasonably young and fit enough :)))

Five months to go till another dream comes true...... :)))))))))

Dare I say triumphant?

So another Tuesday meant another of my presentations at the weekly admin staff development sessions...only this time it was with a difference as I was attending a) for the full day and b) with my own admin group, so I had mixed feelings as on the one hand I was playing to the 'home team' where the subject matter would have much more relevance than in previous weeks - on the other hand I felt more pressure for the same reason.

As it turned out it all went very well and was received even more positively than I'd expected or hoped for. Being someone who's terrified by the thought of public speaking, it's been an amazing learning process and my confidence has grown over the weeks. Rating myself X Factor-style, the first couple of weeks I'd probably have put myself in the bottom two and voted myself off, but this is now the 5th one and on this performance I'm definitely through to next week's show (OK I'm not doing next week, but you get the idea).

It was an enjoyable day and I'm glad it went well. Now back to reality (work) tomorrow and trying to balance an ever increasing workload....

BST 2009, RIP / Clearout time! / Croak croak / 3lbs off

So British Summer Time is officially over. The clocks went back last night, it's 6pm and it's dark outside. If like me you suffer from 'SAD' syndrome, with a depression heightened by a lack of natural daylight, the period between the end of October and the end of March can be terrible at times. Having said that I managed to get through the whole of last winter without too many episodes of it, and am hoping for the same this year. Just need to keep myself occupied - won't have any problem with that as there is always lots to do!

Like one outstanding job which took all day today and couldn't wait any longer: the wardrobe/drawers clearout, to make room for my new autumn/winter clothes. There is now a very large pile of clothes in the corner of my bedroom which will be going off to the charity shops and hopefully their next owner will enjoy wearing them as much as I did.

The blogging is also very good therapy: there's always lots to write about at this time of year so it also takes my mind off the winter blues.

I have one horrible leftover from last week's cold-from-hell: can't stop coughing and my voice regularly breaks into a croak. My poor mum, whose list of health problems just seems to be getting longer and longer, now also has the very same cold too. As if she's not got enough to worry about :(

Good news: lost 3lbs last week. After quitting Weight Watchers I'm now on what I call the 'Frank Sinatra Plan' - I'm doing it 'My Way' (!) and not following any particular diet this time. As I wasn't well enough to exercise I just watched what I was eating and drank lots of water. Loving fruit at the moment, particularly raspberries which are just my most favourite fruit and as my dieting chums say that they are a particular 'fat burner'. There's quite a bit to burn so they will have their work cut out :)))) At least now I'm feeling better so I'm going to start exercising again this week.

Rotten cold, day 7....but there may be blogging ahead

I need the "Big Brother" voiceover for this one: "Day 7 in the 'rotten cold' house".

It finally got too much to take and I was sent home sick from work yesterday, as I reached the point where I couldn't function any more.

The rest of my day and night consisted of paracetamol, throat lozenges, and lots of sleep and rest. Anyway I'm feeling a lot better today, at least the extreme headaches and the sneezing have gone although I'm still coughing, breathless, choked up and am as white as a sheet, even paler than my usual complexion if that's possible. At least I'm well enough now to blog, so I'd better get on with it....