Activity is the key to happiness ...

As a 19 year old, I spent a summer in Paris, as an au pair. It was a happy experience and one that left me with fond memories. Some (ahem!) years later, I find myself thinking about it. What prompted the nostalgia? A day spent working in the garden. I'm knackered, I doubt I will be able to stand in the morning, but I feel great. And it reminded me of Monsieur Pellerin, my 'au pair father'. A businessman during the week, he would spend the weekends working in the garden. And it was he who taught me one of my favourite sayings (made famous by Einstein, I think), 'l'activite est la cle du bonheur' - activity is the key to happiness. And so it is.