LisaSmiles 31:365

As John's been away all week we went out for dinner to the Cock Inn (still makes us smirk despite the amount of times we've been!) Delicious food and great entertainment from the boys! Ended the day nicely. 

And, although I slept badly, the day proper began well with a notification that Mark Pentleton had answered my request and recorded the Dogtanian and the three Muskahounds theme tune as part of his 2015 piano challenge! Thank you! It's the sign of a good theme tune or a misspemt youth that I can recall all the words!

Smiles 296:365

Another day when smiles have been hard to find but not completely lacking. Looking back, there have been more smiles than tears but it's the latter that stick in the mind sadly.
So, I'm reclaiming my smiles!
Year 3 worked really hard all morning and made some great Tellagami.
It wasn't raining at break.
I shared a laugh with children whilst on duty.
My new colleagues looked after me when I was sad and cared enough to ask if I was OK.
I got home earlier than I thought I would.
I didn't have to cook dinner.
I went out with friends and colleagues.
Janey was amazing in her show and we all whooped with abandon.
I have a family that love me very much.

Smiles 254:365

It's been a looooong day! School including break duty and a staff meeting after school, and then straight to a Parent's Information evening at BVGS about GCSEs. Out of the house for 13 hours.

However, I had a wonderful morning with Year3 who were full of enthusiasm but also listened really well. It was good to talk to (a few of) Isaac's teachers and hear that he's settled back really well. and Jude is really pleased as his trumpet teacher says he can try Grade 4 and re-join the Ensemble - and he's amused that I'll be learning the bugle with Year4! I sense I will be given 'private instruction'!!

Today's picture is the Honour Roll at BVGS - the board with Uncle alex on it has been moved to Big School!

Smiles 191:365

Jude's end of term concert this evening made me smile with happiness, enjoyment and pride. I love the sound of the trumpet and Jude played really well in his ensemble. Video will follow but not tonight!

I gave a beginners Spanish lesson this morning which was fun after so long teaching English. It helped that I had a very good pupil, and the 'thank you' was unnecessary but very kind x

Simple things often make me smile - the joy of getting freshly baked bread for lunch, Jude telling John that he owed him two hugs as he hasn't seen him yesterday, Isaac listening to whale music whilst studying and being asked if I was going out 'dressed like that' by my son!

Smiles 172:365

I went for coffee in Tibits with Lisa and Debbie this morning. Lisa doesn't drink coffee so she had a green tea but we were rather taken aback when her drink arrived with what looked like a mini sea anemone in it!

Just missing inclusion last night was the news from my friend Jo that her eldest son has been made Head Boy of his school. A huge achievement for him. Well done Sam!

Rebecca on Cheers suggested that her boyfriend hadn't noticed that she's no good in bed "because he's English."

Well really! Made me smile though. 

As did the man playing panpipes in the park for the wedding guests today. Many and varied songs floated over the hedge including Something Stupid and The Birdie Song. I Audioboo-ed him so I had it captured for posterity!

Smiles 157:365

One of the joys of living in Adlerstrasse is the proximity to Lindengut Museum which, as well as a Museum, is also where people get married on Thursday Friday and Saturday, especially in the summer. It can be colourful and noisy, sometimes smelly but always interesting.

Today we had two horse drawn carriages, one of which was "moved on" by traffic wardens as a delivery van was in its normal parking spot and both of which left 'gifts' (cleared up soon after the horses left!) and a hurdy gurdy player who punctuated the birdsong from the aviary with renditions of Here comes the bride and other wedding related songs.

listen to ‘As I sat reading, Here comes the bride’ on Audioboo



  Jude told me this evening that I looked like I had been skiing as I had 'panda eyes' - that's what comes of reading in the sun wearing sunglasses!

Smiles 97:365

I ran the Zürich Marathan 10K City Run this morning. I wasn't over enamoured of the very early start but it proved to be good as I ran really well and posted a better time than I'd expected!
Official time 53:58,9 
329th overall out of 899
80th out of 199 in my category.

There's something lovely about live music whilst you're running a race, and the diversity here is much appreciated. A couple of steel bands, as well as a random man playing a saxophone (badly) contrasted with two groups of gentlemen playing alpine horns - so serene and inspiring, almost literally uplifting.

And afterwards, free popcorn. Just what I needed. 

Other smiles today

Fabian Cancellara aka Spartacus won Paris-Roubaix in a battle to the line. My Swiss hero <3

Hugs from the boys at the end of the race and their caring attitude when I was shivering, teeth chattering.

John has some good painkillers for his sore back - I was glad to see the glimmer of a smile flicker across his pained face.

Mini eggs and my favourite biscuits courtesy of a nifty bit of smuggling from the "Northern Easter Bunnies." Thanks!

Smile in other languages

In Morse code -  ... -- .. .-.. . 

Smiles 44:365

Another day of fun on the piste - I can now do something resembling parallel turns and survived the chair lift twice! Anina is so lovely and very very patient.

Poor Isaac has been ill and missed out in ski lessons, having to stay in bed, so it was lovely to see him out sledging with us this afternoon - and wiping out spectacularly. I was scared he was hurt but when I rushed to check he was ok, he lifted his head and said "Get in!!" with a huge grin on his face.

Playing Name that Tune with the boys was a source of great amusement too, especially as John decided to take control and play 80s music (no complaints from me but is that fair when the contestants were born in 1998 and 2001)
"My confused brain is making all these songs sound like the Macarena." (Isaac)
"Is it Squeeze Up the Junction?" (Jude)
Isaac claiming that he was at a disadvantage as he had blocked ears, despite scoring more points than me.
Jude chastising Isaac for having a coughing for mid song - 'it's putting me off!'
"Is THIS Squeeze Up the Junction?" (Jude)

Other things that made me smile
@mfljess used an idea from my session at ililc3 in her lesson today and it went well.
Photos of my sister and brother-in-law dressed up for a Murder Mystery.
Looking out of the window into the pitch blackness of the mountains and seeing a snow plough's headlights looming towards us.

Smiles in other languages.
In Kannada - ಕಿರುನಗೆ

Smiles 43:365

Jude has wanted a Raiffeisen/SwissSki bobble hat since I ran the Silvesterlauf and he saw a group of children wearing them. He then saw people wearing them on TV at Wengen, watching the ski race. Today he finally got one as the bus down the hill to Amden stops outside the Raiffeisen bank. Whilst John was extracting cash from the cash point I went inside and discovered that you could buy the bobble hats over the counter! Great joy and jubilation when I returned with the prize!!

Smiles this morning too as I had my first ski lesson - and I wasn't as bad as I had feared. I did fall over but not as many times as I had feared, and I have been up two mountains, by drag lift and on a dreaded chairlift - and I survived. And I also made it back down them under my own steam - with lots of patience from my instructor who held my poles to guide me at regular intervals and to stop me flying over the edge!
Smiled broadly when I had a sudden flashback to #ililc2 and Tchic Tchac with Jo Rhys-Jones :) then promptly fell over as I lost concentration :S

Things I heard that made me smile today
Jude asked if we could listen to John's iPod music "cos he's got that album with Slade and Dinosaur on it"
On returning from our bus ride to fetch provisions, John and I were greeted by the boys who looked distraught about something. We feared an accident or something broken. Turned out to be a dirty cuddly toy as Jude picked it up with the fire tongs!
Still giggling over the Manx knobs :)

Smiles in other languages
In Estonian - naeratus

NB Smiles 39-42 will be published on our return on Friday unless I get wifi before then!

Smile 27:365

Jude is learning the trumpet and is also part of a brass ensemble. Today his Bläserensemble, along with Klarinettenensembles, had a concert. Jude had been practising hard and played really well. Proud Mummy :o)

And afterwards, we went to Tibits for a celebratory Heisse Schoggi. Love the blue bobble lampshade - standard lamp and ceiling box :o)

Things I heard today that made me smile
"There needs to be more fagott in this concert" said John in the middle of Jude's music concert . (Ein Fagott = a bassoon)
A very rude joke about Rod Laver's name told on Twitter.
Andy Murray's consolation speech.

Smile in other languages
In Afrikaans - glimlag

Smiles 20:365

Quite often on a Sunday I sing in the worship group at church. Rehearsal starts at 430pm which means I have to leave the house at 340pm to catch the train to Zürich. And I'm not back home until nearly 9pm so I miss tea. Today there was leftover Aprikosenwähe afterwards so I'm not so hungry on the train home - big smile! (You can tell how happy I was as I took a bite before I took the photograph!)
And a huuuge smile during worship group when Alisa (who can *really* sing) said 'Lisa, you sing this one!' -and it was a song I absolutely love so even better!

And another huge smile crossed my face when I returned from my run without falling over on the icy pavements or snowy hills, nor getting lost (can you see the path in the bottom photo?). And I smiled throughout my run as I was virtually alone in a snowy wonderland, with the sound of my feet crunching in the snow accompanied by the sound of the river, and Les Mis 10th anniversary concert on my iPod Shuffle.

Things I heard today that made me smile
As I arrived home, the boys were watching Fawlty Towers so all of that really!
Being called 'super multitasking woman of the year' - thanks Fatima!
'These meatballs are as good as yours Mummy, but they're not better!' My son is a diplomat!

Smile in other languages
In Aleut -  Aaluxtal