A documentary with a glimpse into the secrets of a long lasting marriage

Actually the movie is made up of two parts, the first is called ‘Paradise’, filmed in 2007 and follows the ordinary lives of Kerstin and Hans Stralstroem, an elderly couple that have been together for more than 60 years, living in the idyllic forests of Sweden. The film opens with Hans playing his trumpet, comfortably seated on the toilet, with his trousers neatly resting around his ankles, as he looks out to nature through the wide open door.  Kerstin listens intently as she potters around in the garden. The audience loves it and laughs out loud with great anticipation on what else is in store for them.

When Kerstin is rowing over to a little island to pick some berries, Hans decides to surprise his wife with a hand baked sponge cake. He is the type of man that makes quick decisions not always bothering with the details but always with good intentions at heart. Soon Hans realises that he mixed up two different recipes and that he added potato instead of regular flour. Licking some dough from his finger, he decides that it tastes good and is not deterred from putting it in the oven. Half the cake ends up sticking to the form which Hans carefully scratches out to put on the other broken half of the cake. A few preserved pears on top and Kerstin won’t notice a thing.

Great Ways To Cheer Up Your Precious Other Half

Image by ctr

Is your partner going through a tough time?

You could…

plan a surprise getaway

do some of their dreaded household chores

call a radio station and dedicate a favourite song

go for a long walk and talk about whatever is on their mind

make breakfast

hide cheering up notes in their bag

watch a comedy

Is It Time For An Old-fashioned Love-letter?

You don’t know what to write? Well don’t despair, I have some ideas that will help you to make a start. Before you start writing a letter, ask yourself the following questions:

Who are you sending the letter to? Use your knowledge about this person. What would she/he like to hear? What do you have in common?

Why do you write this letter? Is it your first romantic approach or a thank you for a wonderful evening?

With these thoughts in mind, it will be easier for you to find out what you would like to write about and how to formulate it.

Note some key words and phrases in logical order, and once you’ve established a framework you can start formulating your letter:

Take The Test: How Needy Are You?

Love is like our relationship with food: some people can live on hardly anything while others eat and eat but are never full. How much love do you need? Take this test to find out whether you are a gourmet, greedy or even bulimic when it comes to love. Try not to spend too long on each question – go with your instincts. And don’t forget: the more honest you are, the more reliable the results. Sorry, this test is no longer available!