Kulning (pronounced just as it looks) is a Swedish term that describes a unique form of singing used by Scandinavian herding girls who live in the high mountains with the dairy cattle during the spring and summer months. Think Heidi.

“The herding girls who drive the herds to the summer alpine pastures live in relative isolation and use kulning to communicate with each other and with their flocks over great distances,” explains musician and self-proclaimed history geek Sheila Louise Wright. “It is used to send the herds out in the morning, to call them back in in the evening, to entertain oneself while alone in the forests and meadows, as a means of scaring off predators, and as a means of communication with other herders.”

Families would traditionally have their own signature songs that were recognized by their herds. Wouldn’t it feel amazing to be in a beautiful setting with only your cows and belt out the sound of kulning? I’m game. How about you?

Here are a couple more kulning renditions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN1_-AB7LO4&index=5&list=RDjHWguX1oVNQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LxsvTfASP8

 

 

 

Speaking of May flowers …

(really, who doesn’t have May flowers on her mind?)

… here’s a perennial blossom worth celebrating:

Yup, the lovely Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 (in Belgium, by the way, for you trivia buffs).

We remember her as an icon of style and sophistication, a selfless humanitarian, and one of those enviable ladies who seem to maintain a heart full of youth throughout her life.

So, I thought you might find this little tidbit as inspiring as I did:

“Hepburn never skipped breakfast, usually choosing two eggs, whole-wheat toast, and coffee with milk. Once a month, she would have a ‘detox day’ during which she kept herself well hydrated and ate only fresh fruit, vegetables, and yogurt,” recounts blogger Jessica Reidy. “She preferred to eat organic, and the only exercise she liked was to take was walks in the fresh air. Hepburn believed that her care and attention to a healthy diet gave her the energy she needed for her demanding schedule as an actress, activist, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.”

Just a little something to keep in mind as we move into the season of rejuvenation.

In the words of Audrey herself, “Nothing is impossible—the word itself says ‘I’m possible.’”

May flowers, here we come!