© Lifecruiser 2005 (Visby, Gotland, Sweden)

Since we’re celebrating an engagement anniversery over here today, what could be more appropriate than our soft kissing…? This is from summer 2005 at the Medevial week in Visby, a medevial town on the Swedish island Gotland, outside Swedens east coast.

As you may notice, we’re NOT dressed medevial, but in 18th century style. Actually it’s our wedding outfits! It’s the Swedish Royal colors, blue and yellow/gold and with wigs and all. My wig is very high, so I’m having problem not to get stuck everywhere with it… *giggles*

The wigs are special ordered by us and we’ve choosen the hairstyles ourselves. We pointed them out from a catalog and the store made the hairstyle after that, they just ordered the hair from England. It’s very soft and authentic looking. So actually, now and then the wig has to go to the “hairdresser” to be washed and curled again. *lol*

So how come we went to a medevial event in 18th century outfits? We’re crazy enough to be different, to not be bothered if we get noticed among the masses. And we did. Phew. We’re photographed of tourists all over the world by now… *lol* Though it wasn’t that popular among true medevial lovers…

This was only the first day, the rest of the days we dressed properly in our medevial outfits. We bought two different outfits to wear. Mr Lifecruiser is very cool in one of his. There is people that actually lives medevial life for a whole week in tents during that week. We were not that brave…

Now… On to the celebrating and love making….

(Sorry, private party - no soft nudes pic here today ;-)

…..how flowers know when it’s time to bloom?

I, myself, haven’t actually. I’ve just taken it sort of for granted. Until now. I just happened to stumble over an article on the web that tells me the advanced, but yet so “simple” answer. As if we could call anything in the nature for simple…

I’m not the only one that haven’t known the answer to that question - it’s only in May 2005 a Swedish researcher, Ove Nilsson, found the precise gene that is in charge of the flowering!

What exactly is it that makes flowers open then?

“We discovered that the genes that determine when flowering occurs are active in the leaves, not in the tips of the shoots where the actual flower opens. The gene that we found produces signal molecules that are conveyed from the leaves to the tips of the shoots, where they control the formation of proteins that in turn are responsible for the actual flowering.”

This signal molecule is neither a sugar molecule nor a protein (as they guessed earlier), but a type of messenger RNA (mRNA), a tiny piece of the genetic material that controls the formation of proteins. The point in time at which flowering occurs is thus pre-programmed in plants’ genetic code in the same way as when humans and other animals reach sexual maturity.

Source: Linneaus300.com

So, how about that? The expression that we humans bloom in the puberty isn’t that far away from the truth, is it?

And what about this Tulip about to bloom, it does remind us about it, doesn’t it? *lol*

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© Lifecruiser 2007 (Tulip House, Stockholm)

© Lifecruiser 2007 (Technical Museum, Stockholm)

This one is a Scania manufactured in 1901-1902 by Maskinfabriks AB Scania, Malmö, Sweden and it’s one of the first ones that was made by Scania. It’s also the oldest preserved car of three test models they made.

It was called “a stroller” and was inspired of French car models. It has a water-cooled engine and something called “planet gearbox”: two gears and one reverse. Power is transmitted to the back axle by means of a chain and universal driving shaft.

Effect: 6 hk (hp or 4,5kw)!!!!

Though I must admit, as a woman, my main thought when I see this is the old fashion style that were back then. All those long skirts the women were wearing and the climbing up they had to do in those cars… Oh my.

I just know that I would have stumbled ;-)

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Already in the end of the 18th century there were poptpourri’s of flowers in Swedish houses, which an article from 1780 can tell. The oldest potpourri pot is dated 1663 from Germany though. The word Potpourri is French and means pot and pourri, which actually means rotten.

Potpourri is flowers that get salted or put in pots and makes the air in a room nice smelling and refreshing. Maybe they needed it more back then, than we do nowadays, to cover up their bad odor *yuk* since they didn’t wash themselves as often as we do.

Very commonly used were Thorn roses, Lavendel and Carnations, which were cleaned from their calyxes and stalks and put in layers with fine salt in suitable and nice looking vases. A more rich mix they used were: Orange blooms, Thorn Roses, Carnations, Lavendel, Rosemary, Southernwood, Myrtle, Hyssop, Salvia, Pansy, Lime tree flowers.

Later on I’ve heard that all kind of spices can be used. I think my favorite would be cinnamon around xmas time - maybe oranges too - and vanilla the rest of the year. In the beginning it should be stirred daily, then once a week, then when you want good smelling air. Otherwise it should be covered.

I think that most of the scented flower petals (or herbs!) will be suitable for a potpourri. I’ll do as I always does: trust my nose on this… *lol*. Just make sure that they are completely dry before adding the spices, fragrance or essential oils and fixatives or they might get mold.

If you have an old potpurri that has stopped smelling, I’ve heard that orris root will hold the scent and can be used to refresh it with. Just take several tablespoons chunks of it, or a teaspoon if it’s in powder form and add some drops of your favorite fragrance oils until it smells like you want - maybe a little more since it will disappear some of the smell later. Don’t forget to stir it again for a period.

I’ve also heard that some use other fixatives like dried citrus rinds, cloves, coriander seeds - oh Im sure there are even more.

I don’t see that kind of Potpourri’s nowadays. People always seems to be in a hurry and don’t have the time to prepare these kind of dried flowers.

How about just bringing in some foliages and flowers and just put it on a plate or bowl on the dinner table?

Something so simple makes such a big difference!!!

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© Mrs Lifecruiser at the hairdresser (1 Feb 2007)

Post subjects: 1) My hairdresser and haircut. 2) My going bald problem 3) Generally about hairstyling.

My hairdresser and haircut

I went to the hairdresser this last thursday to have a haircut of my hair loss’ed head for the first time for 1 year and 9 months… It was like going to the Fear Factory I tell you! Phew. Would it be any hair left afterwards? I was biting my nails.

It was to a new hairdresser for me too, but it turned out to be a great hairdresser, totally on my own line to keep as much of my hair as possible. She is only using products that are very mild and she has a great education and special knowledge about hair loss or other problems.

When writing this post, looking up her website, I suddenly discover that she was participating in the Swedish TV Expedition Robinson (Survivor) in 2002 & 2003. I had no idea of that since I hardly watch TV and have a really bad memory, but I thought that she looked vague familiar :-)

Luckily for her she didn’t have to answer any more questions about it from me… It must be very tiring after a while to always be asked the same questions.

Have you noticed too that there is so much to talk about at the hairdresser? *lol* My hairdresser had recently been to Brazil, so we had to compare our experiences from there, since we were there last year in December.

Now, why would this be like going to the Fear Factory? Well, not only for the haircut in itself, but for sitting in the chairs. Phew. With my back it’s like torture instruments.

The chair at the wash is always the worst one. Either they feels like they’re breaking my neck or my back.

This one was surprisingly comfy for the neck, but totally wrong for the back. I’ve never been to any hairdresser that has totally comfortable chairs, have you?

So what did we do with my hair then?

1) An intensive cure for about 25 minutes. I don’t know what product she used here, but my hair went really really soft though.

2) Without me saying anything she suggested to cut off about 10 cm (3.93 inches) of my hair which was exactly what I myself had in mind, because that was the worned out part of it. So she did cut it off and also a bit of my side bangs.

3) She suggested to dye it in with some kind of special mild dye like Gold something, since I’ve became more dark haired since I lost all my hair in the first layer of my head. And maybe because she thought it would make me looking younger since it even would dye my silver hairs I’ve got a lot of in my bangs? *lol*

I didn’t find it necessary, but what the heck, why don’t try something new?

Though I can say now afterwards that I prefer my own hair color anyway, even if it’s a bit dark and silver combined. It looks more natural. I’m not quite satiesfied with this “goldy look” that I almost find is having a hardly noticed nuance of blonde-red, you know very light? Especially where my silver bangs have been earlier.

Conclusion: Now I know, I’ve tried. No more gold dye for me :-) I want my silver hair back! (Reminded me about the silverback gorilla somewhow ;-)

Mr L tried to take photos of my hair color, but it was very difficult to catch it on photo I tell you! Either it’s to much gold or it turns brown, it doesn’t show the right color with that light red in it. And especially the bangs which were silver before.

© Mrs Lifecruiser after the haircut & 1 hair wash

Maybe I should call myself Goldilock instead of Baldie Hawn from now on ;-)

…and what’s the matter with me? Why do I show this photo to you, where I’ve used all my tricks to fluff up my hair and it’s newly washed, fresh looking, instead of showing it what it’s really looking when it’s not so fresh? This vanity… *sigh*

My going bald problem

Besides Brazil we talked about hair loss too of course. She confirmed what I think about the subject myself: there is something wrong with you if you have the kind of hair loss that I have and it should be fully investigated. She have had customers with very unusual problems discovered after peristent care seeking.

I must keep on trying to find a doctor that is willing to check me up carefully, to not give up!!!

This is what my hair looked like before the hair loss. It may be hard to tell from these photos, but I’m not exaggerating, I’ve lost about 50-60% of my hair!

The most of it came out in a period of a couple of months and I was terrified that I was going bald. You might think that I should be satiesfied with what I’ve got left, but for me that’s used to have all that hair, this is a big catastroph. I identify myself with my hair.

She also gave me a lot of advices concerning my hair type, what kind of products to use on my special type of hair and that I should use products giving moist rather than protein. Appearently I have rather hard hairs that needs more moist and too much protein can block the hair roots and therefor block the hair growing too I presume. (I hope I got that right!)

I bought the following Hårologi’s products:

- E.F.A.-Shampoo+
Activates your hair scalp with essential fatty acids and B-vitamines komplex that is counteracting dry hair scalp and skin. Dry, sheenless and brittle hair regain it’s luster.

- Hair Balsam+
Concentrated instant hair rinse with wheat bran and Panthenol. Untangles hair, has an anti-static, moisturising and glossy effect.

- Leave On
Conditioner and cure with provitamine B5 & jojoba oil which is not to be rinsed out and is supposed to give formability, protection and luster.

She did fill up one of them, I think it was the shampoo, with some extra stuff that would fit my hair well and told me that if I don’t think they’re working well, to come back with them and exchange them to another product. She’ll do that even if I’ve used it, it doesn’t matter because she can always use the rest in the hair saloon.

These products seems to be of good quality (more concentrated?) so even if they are much more expensive than the ones I use to buy, it will last longer - so in the end it will probably be a bit cheaper than I thought at first. Still expensive, but maybe worth it?

I’ve only washed my hair once with them, but I like them very much so far. I noticed difference from the normal products I’ve used. But the hairdressers products is always better than the grocery stores… I’m pleased with the fact that the Leave on conditioner is in a small packaging, I’ll appreciate that when out travelling instead of my big mousse bottles :-)

She also prescribed a special treatment simply called Hair Nutrition from Hårologi, pills with composition of essential nutritions for the hair including 30 vitamines and minerals - even the recommended daily dose of iron which is excellent for me with the lack of iron I have.

The other ones I bought at the Health products store earlier called Arcon-Tisane hair vitamines capsules includes vitamines and fenugreek which is said to be very rich of iron. It didn’t give me that much noticable effect though. Yes, my nails grew, but no big difference on the hair. Let’s see what this ones can do instead!

I suppose I should try to get hold of fenugreek as a spice since it’s so full of iron (more than anything else!) and put it as much as possible on my food?

Normally, I’m very suspicious of health care products, but I’ll guess I won’t know until I’ve tried huh?

So I started the same day with the Hair Nutrition pills. At least they are much more easy to swallow - an important factor that too! The other ones were so big that they felt like they got stucked there and hurted my throat. They were like Easter eggs - black ones…

I’ll report after the cure, which will be about 1-3 months. Normally when her customer comes into a phase of hair loss (which everybody does from time to time) it’s enough to take the cure for 1 month. Though she thought I might be needed up to 3 month since I’ve had such an extensive hair loss.

So we can say for sure now that I’ve invested heavily in my hair huh? *lol*

Generally about hairstyling

Yes, I know, you may have wanted to see me doing a major haircut, but the truth with me is that I just LOVE long hair. I can’t help it. I hate short hair on a woman. You may look great in it, but I’d still want even you to have long hair. Yes, I’m weird.

It doesn’t matter that you have a long list of arguments of why it’s so much better with short hair, more practical, shorter time to wash and so on. I’d still want long hair. I’m not only weird, I’m stubborn too ;-)

You can show me different hairstyles and I can think that it’s looking good. I can appreciate it - as long it’s on you and not me - but never fully love it. Sorry.

And I’m not buying the argument that it should be so much easier to take care of if it were shorter. If it’s shorter you have to keep going to the hairdresser and have a haircut much more often than I need for my long hair. I don’t form any hairstyle either, keeping it natural style. It’s so easy to maintain.

Half-down the shoulders is a good length too, but shorter? Rather not. If you got a distinct hairstyle like that, you have to be really good at keeping it like the way the hairdresser did it and I’m not capable of that.

My hair would look even more awful than now… *shivering of fear*

Many years ago it was trendy to have very short hair here in Sweden. Every female had short hair, no matter what the age was. Needless to say: I didn’t like that.

So I’ve been very happy the last couple of years when the hairstyle fashion trend has been to have long hair again!

Woooohooo!!!

Earlier posts about my going bald problem:

Going bald
Going bald part two
Going bald part three
Going bald part four
Peeking down my throat
Tackle the real world…

© Lifecruiser (Herring, Stockholm, Sweden)

The Swedish word Gross is actually an old way to count:

1 dussin = 12 of anything
1 gross = 1 dussin dussin.

Clear? *giggles*

Gross is 12×12 = 144 is the right answer with other words.

Later on we just started to use the word gross for something that comes in a big amount, not precisely 144 things of something.

Grosshandel = Big volumes of merchandises, what you would call Wholesale I think.

So this is Gross in two meanings.

A lot of gross huh? *lol*

Yesterday we took a day trip with my sister to Norrtälje, a small town 6 Swedish miles north of Stockholm. The reason for going there was that it has been a wish of my sister for a long time now to visit their famous Café “En liten smula” (means “A little crumb”).

The Café has an award winning owner, Therese Wikström - one of Swedens best pastry chef’s. Therese has worked in first class restaurants in both Sweden and other countries and have had Jan Hedh as mentor, which is a pastry chef Master and has World championships titles in the baggage. She has won prizes every year in row now.

When she was working on a restaurant in New York, she introduced the Swedish Semla on the menu as a dessert. The americans loved it. (Read what a semla is: Lifecruisers Semla)

This is a very small Café in a very old town house and the rooms are decorated like your visiting someone in their home, giving a very comfy feeling. We sat in the kitchen. Even though we didn’t find her best masterpeices in the Café, there still was a lot of delicious things - don’t you agree…?

[Hove over to enlarge!]

♥ ENJOY… LOVE… EXPLORING CAKES :-)

NOTE: Every comment is equally welcome, even if you’re not participating in this Thursday Thirteen-thing, we ♥ LOVE all comments :-)

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© Lifecruiser, Tulip House, Stockholm

This is our celebration to the passion of nature. Today Sweden start a 300 years anniversery of the birth of Carl Linneaus, the passionated (at least for nature ;-) Swede that travelled around the world making up a sexual system of all living things.

It’s him we shall thank for a lot of the species names in the system. He started it all. Think about it, what a work to categorize it all! Truly amazing work he did. I do wonder though if he had that much time left for passion with his wife….? *lol*

From what I can understand Linnaeus was rather open and frank when he compared it to the human sexual reproduction and at that time people were a bit chocked at first, but his very useful scheme took the world by storm.

Sweden celebrates his birth 300 years ago with a lot of events during this year, starting with an opening by the Swedish Royal King and fireworks among other popular happenings. Though even other countries celebrates him with exhibitions some time during the year: Japan, France, Polen, Germany and Great Britain.

They’re giving out an anniversary book, named System och passion (”A Passion for Systems”) which I’m planning to get later if I can find it on any sale, because it’s reather expensive. It will use photographs to show how his system is built up, describing both history and development of the plant classification system from then to now.

If any one of you have the chance to go to the Chelsea Flower Show the 22-26th May in London, there will be a whole garden celebrating Linneaus. I really would have want to go to there, not only for the Linneaus garden, but it’s Chelsea flower show for gods sake!!!! Any gardeners dream, but even ordinary people that appreciate flowers will be in heaven…

Even his journeys are covered by a film about his expeditions, covering the seven continents he went to - it’s quite an achievement just to make a film about it, can you imagine how it was when Linneaus travelled that route 300 years ago???

This documentary “The Expedition Linné” is planned to be released in March 2007 by the world-renowned National Geographic photographer Mattias Klum and producer Folke Rydén. We really want to see that one. If we get the chance, we’ll also report to you about it.

1732 Linnaeus went on his first adventurous expedition, to the sub-Arctic Lapland (high up in the northern Sweden), which was practically unknown at that time. It was from this trip he wrote the first work to use the Sexual System: The Florula Lapponica.

One can only speculate in how difficult that work must have been at that time, with no modern help tools. As you can see in the picture, it wasn’t much he had.

Photo: Sören Hallgren
© The Linnaeus Museum
(Carl Linnaeus home 1743-1778)

They say that the Vikings had a saying like this:

“Those who know nothing but their home are stupid”.

Now, I may not take it that far, but to conquer the world doesn’t sound that bad to me today. After all it’s Monday, it should be ’nuff said.

But just to add some juicy stuff to that ’nuff, I throw in a late night and too early morning, resulting in a dentist torture of me (I got a cancelled appointment) and a little nice surprise nauseous for Mr Lifecruiser.

Good (?) thing though is that the dentist agreed with me to go on the cheaper (?) filling with plastic instead of porcelain, but it still cost me 750 SEK ($107) for just one tooth filling.

On top of that we have lost the warmth weather. It has been snowing and it’s cold. They say that it’s going to continue and even become colder. I don’t like snow and to slip around which makes my back worse. Or to dress in skipants with suspenders looking like a 5 year old kid going out to ride a sledge. At least not when I’m not allowed to ride’m!!! It’s not fair.

Or wear woolen clothes that itch. Or freezing my butt off.

I had ’nuff of it, I’ve been living in Sweden all my life.

So I’m seriously thinking of doing like the Vikings. Well, not the plunderings (hm…) or rapings (sorry guys ;-), but the cruising. After all, being born up here in the north must mean that I have some Viking blood in me, right?

Now, I’m just wandering, do I need an icebreaker to make it out of here or would it be sufficient with a nice little Cruise ship? I think I’ll skip the authentic Viking ship, there is no time to build one now…

We’re seriously thinking of booking a 24h cruise to the island Åland, just to get going with the feeling and sort of put the Viking blood in surging. And we’re not going alone either, we’re taking a bunch of other savages Viking friends with us. Our best friend Miss Ass. Lifecruiser among others and then you understand the caliber of this gang…

I’m not telling you the date yet, so you won’t be able to send out alerts! I’m not stupid, I’ve Viking blood in me remember…

I do have one other problem though. It can be windy. I get seasick. Remember how it went last time when we cruised to Helsinki, Finland? When I had that romantic night in the cabin…. toilet… One time is quite ’nuff.

I don’t like to showel up seasickness pills in my butt either.

You see, no matter how I turn, my butt is still back there.

How do Vikings send secret messages?
- Norse code.

So I must send a SOS message to get me OUT OF HERE….!!!!!

NOTE: Not even those flames or the heavy Love making here can hold us ’nuff warm…

  
  
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“Med en enkel Tulipan uppå bemärkelsedan, vi har den äran att få gratulera!” (With a simple Tulip on the special day, we have the honor of congratulating!”)

That is the beginning of an old traditional Swedish song that is mostly forgotten by now. I’ts only persons from the stone age like me that remember it nowadays ;-)

We went especially to a newly opened Tulip House here in Stockholm Saturday afternoon to get some nice Tulips to bring to Tricias 1 year blog anniversery. There isn’t anything more promising and hope giving than Tulip bulbs. It brings memories of the spring….

I first met Tricia from one of the blogrolls I’m participating in, but the one that interests me the most is this Green Thumb Sunday blogroll which she started in June 2006.

If you haven’t been at her Garden blog As the Garden Grows yet, I recommend you to have a stroll in her garden blog. You can find a lot of very useful garden information there together with many wonderful flower and garden pictures.

She is the most friendly and sweet Canadian nurse that actually is on a sick leave and need to nurse herself :-)

In fact, she need to blog less according to herself. She is forcing herself to write too much ads-post for PPP to get in some money now when she isn’t working. She is going to swallow a camera pill next week to investigate her bowels from the inside and it’s just way too expensive!

I know from own experiences and from near and dear ones, how difficult it can be with bowel problems and diseases. If you never have experienced it - be very grateful. She has had a tough time and really is in the need of a good party.

The Party is over at Tricias Musings with the most wonderful Ice Garden and a very cool Ice Bar! Pop over and congratulate her and cheer her up with some nice birthday gifts!