Five good things

Hello my lovelies, hope you've all had a good weekend. I am not a big fan of Monday's, so thank goodness this one is over and done with! Onto my five good things:

1. I have a short working week this week and next week because of the two Easter bank holidays. What's not to love about that?! Mr Lollipop has a long weekend off too, which very rarely happens around bank holiday time as he normally gets the shitty shifts. I'm really looking forward to spending a few days with him :)

2. My healthy eating plan is going really well. It's still early days (as in, a week) but I have zero willpower and normally give up by now. Thank you to everyone who has commented on my last post or tweeted me some support and encouragement. It really means a lot and is definitely inspiring me. Thank you! 

3. I went for a jog on Saturday morning and Sunday morning. I went with my lovely Mammy and we jogged about 1.5 - 2 miles along the beach then jogged back. I use the term 'jogged' very loosely, as it was kind of a plod, trot, skip, stop for a breather, walk, hop, jump, plod, gasp for breath... you get the picture! I was absolutely knackered coming back but I felt so proud of myself. It was also quite invigorating to go to the beach in the fresh, early mornings, and to hear nothing except the waves crashing and the birds tweeting. It was just so peaceful, and despite being too hot and sweating like an absolute pig, I felt good. Very serene and calming. My legs were aching like a bitch this morning, but in my opinion, it's worth it.

4. I finally managed to get some of my NVQ work done over the weekend. I was starting to get a knotted feeling in the pit of my stomach because I just kept delaying it and delaying it, but yay, I've almost finished this module.

5. Mr Lollipop applied for a new job a few weeks ago. Well, it's a promotion from Assistant Manager in his current store to a Manager in a store closer to home, rather than a brand new job, and his Area Manager has 'unofficially' said that it is looking really positive for him. Fingers crossed he gets it, as it would mean I get to spend more time with him (he currently spends 2 hours a day travelling, bless him) and of course, more money!

What are your good things?

xoxo

All images from weheartit

Frederic Chopin commemorative banknote

The National Bank of Poland (NBP) announce on January that they will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of an eminent Polish composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin by issuing a collector note with the face value of 20 złoty. The NBP bank is to print 100,000 of the 20-zloty (five euro) notes featuring a picture of Chopin and sell them online for between 25 and 50 zlotys, the bank said in a statement. Chopin was born near Warsaw in 1 March 1810 to a Polish mother and French father, and moved to France when he was 20.

The front of the banknote depicts a portrait of Frédéric Chopin in profile. This element has been made with steel engraving technique. The engraving of the portrait was made by Przemysław Krajewski – hand engraving artist at the Polish Security Printing Works. On the left-hand side, there is an image of the manor house in Żelazowa Wola where the composer was born. On the right-hand side, there is a reproduction of the first edition of Mazurka in B-flat major, Op. 7 No. 1 and of the autograph of the composer. The back of the banknote shows a facsimile of a fragment of Étude in f-minor, Op. 10, No. 9, against a landscape with willows, characteristic of Central Poland region. Banknote designers are Grzegorz Pfeifer and Katarzyna Jarnuszkiewicz. The engraving of the Chopin portrait by Przemysław Krajewski hand engraving artist at the Polish Security Printing Works. The banknotes printed by the Polish Security Printing Works. The banknote is legal tender in Poland. Its face value is 20 złoty.

Photo by Wikipedia: The only known photo of Chopin.

Frédéric François Chopin, in Polish Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; (1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849), was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music.Chopin was born in the village of Żelazowa Wola, in the Duchy of Warsaw, to a French expatriate father and Polish mother. He was considered a child-prodigy pianist. Chopin died in Paris in 1849, aged thirty-nine, of pulmonary tuberculosis. The great majority of Chopin's compositions were written for the piano as solo instrument. Chopin invented musical forms such as the instrumental ballade and was responsible for major innovations in the piano sonata, mazurka, waltz, nocturne, polonaise, étude, impromptu and prélude.

Source: National Bank of Poland, Wikipedia, Associated Press.

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50s And Early 60s Rock N Roll Snippets - Enjoy

So who influenced our earlier Singapore 60s vocal groups and singers like The Crescendos, Bambinos and Sundowners? Watch this You Tube classic that's too good to miss. Blogger shares with everyone this timeless snippets of classic rock & roll music from the 50s and early 60s, introduced by Bobby Rydell. So enjoy the few seconds with each song.

The songs start with youthful Bobby Rydell's version of Volare followed by Bobby Darin with 'Dream Lover'. Then Condensed Classics, by Si Melzer, has Elvis Presley, The Four Seasons, Richie Valens, The Shangi-Las, Ruby and the Romantics, The Drifters, Brenda Lee, Beach Boys, Jay & The Americans, Everly Brothers, Little Anthony & The Imperials., Clyde MacPhatter and Barbara Harris.

Then there's Dee Dee Sharp, Connie Francis, Ben E. King, Martha & The Vandellas, The Crests, The Orlons, The Marvelettes, The Shirelles, Chubby Checker, The Temptations, The Diamonds, Paul & Paula, Jan & Dean and many others. Nine minutes of fun and nostalgia. Enjoy!
From You Tube: condensedclassics (July 5th, 2007).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXqgO63b59c&feature=related

Image: Mickey & Sylvia. Classic: Love Is Strange.

This blog is under construction. Please excuse the colour changes which may blind the unwary! Thank you.