Meet my Dogs

Soon after my divorce in 2006, I had to make a very hard decision: leave the dogs at the house with the children.  I also thought it would be better for the dogs as that was their home and taking them away would make them unhappy. Besides for about 2 years I lived in a flat which was far from being a suitable home for them. Melina was only a puppy then and she still needed her mum who passed away last year.

This is Melina the beagle. She was born on April 7, 2006. She is playful, lively but obedient and apart from dog food, she loves to eat souvlaki and lamb chops.

This is a picture of Nefeli taken about a year ago in my daughter's bedroom. Born on May 22, 2001, she is a fine labrador retriever and our guardian angel. She generally gets on well with Melina and loves to eat chicken and ham.

Happy New Year!

The last two months of 2009 have been terribly busy at work and occasionally hectic, so I apologiize for taking me so long to post. On Christmas eve I worked till late at night and was too tired to party. But I did have time to relax over the Christmas weekend and enjoyed spending time with my children - especially my daughter who I don't see very often as she is at university in the UK. She flew back home a few days before Christmas and despite my loaded schedule at work I have tried to spend most of my free time with her. After church on Christmas Day, we all gathered together at my brother's for the Christmas lunch. It was nice and cosy as all the family was there including my aunt, uncle and cousins who live in the USA. It was great seeing them again after a very long time.

But time seems to fly and here we are only a few hours away from 2010. Looking back, I realise that there is a lot to keep and a lot to leave behind from 2009. I will certainly keep the good things which are now treasured memories, like the positive changes both in my personal life and consequently in my work. Throughout 2009, I have learned to be a positive thinker and lead a more spiritual and less material life. This helped a lot to improve my self-esteem but also my relationship with my family - especially my children. I will leave behind mistaken decisions which resulted in a lot of stress and unhappy moments, mostly in my personal life and I will try not to repeat the same mistakes in 2010. I wish everyone good health above all but also faith in God and wisdom to deal with hard times. May the new year materialize your expectations and make all your dreams come true.

A Story: The Shout

Thank you all for joining the fun and for contributing to writing a gripping tale! Here it is put together.

The shout penetrated my sleep, but I soon made it part of my dream. It fitted perfectly into the odd sequence of events which at that moment seemed to be passing before my eyes. The war, the invaders, children screaming, soldiers marching and shouting in a language I could not understand…I wasn't sure if I was still dreaming or not. Oh yes! And those alabaster hands hanging in the air like a curse…I woke up from this nightmare in a cold sweat. “Geez! What the heck!”

All of a sudden, still sweating all over, I knew…I just knew that shout was not part of my psychedelic dream. But right now I could only hear the clock in the living room ticking away the hours... Four o'clock! Now the shout rang out louder than before. This time it was impossible to deceive myself about it. I sat up in bed with a start. After a few seconds had passed, I dimly realised that someone was shouting in the street.

It was the shout of a woman, an angry woman or so she sounded. I ran to the window. Now that in the early morning it was covered with snow, the street looked like a great white page waiting for the imprint of future footsteps. The writing of the past - the torn autumn leaves, the marks of countless hurrying feet had been washed away.

It was still snowing when I looked out of the window. The street was empty and silent, yet I was sure that shout wasn't part of my dream! From the corner of my eye, I could now make out the figure of a woman dressed in a large overcoat. A hat was pulled down over her eyes and very little of her face could be seen. Her angry shouts had now given way to loud sobs. I felt a sudden urge to go up to her and give her a big hug. But that was only a crazy thought, so I went back to bed.

Soon it was day-time again, and people went about their work as if nothing had happened, as if that shout had never pierced the night. It was still snowing when the alarm went off. Not a sound could be heard. I tried to go off to sleep but could not. I dreaded the moment I'd hear that shout again.

Then, as if I had made up my mind about something, I passed into a deep slumber. I was determined to forget all about the shout and that strange woman sobbing in the middle of the street. Yet that weird sequence of events would haunt me again- children screaming, soldiers marching and a galloping horse which had stopped somewhere, reared on its hind legs, and instead of whinnying, it had shouted.

"Xo! Xo! Xo! Merry Christmas, sleepy head!" James shouted out joyfully. Only then did I realise that it was Christmas Day and I had been suffering from a severe hangover, with all its unexpected consequences, since the party on Christmas Eve!

Written by:

sand_dune

Lakis I

Christiana P

Katie

Lisa A

Stefania

Olga

Anastasia

Constantinos

Let's Write a Story

It's a fun game, actually, and the rules are very simple:

1) Each post should only be one sentence long. If you absolutely can't get it all into one sentence, then use two, but keep it short.

2) You may post as many times as you like, but you must wait for somebody else to post before you can do so again. (You can't post two times in a row.)

3) Remain on topic. This does not mean that you have to follow a strict storyline of any sort, but keep your contribution at least tangentially relate to the previous few.

4) Try to make it interesting.

I'll begin:

The shout penetrated my sleep, but I soon made it part of my dream.

Your turn!

Jealousy

When in a romantic relationship, feeling jealous up to a certain degree can be normal and healthy. However, jealousy can also be a very negative feeling which can destroy human relationships.

Jealousy is not the same thing as love. Sometimes, people think that by feeling jealous about someone, they e love them. Jealousy is not love; it’s the fear and anger of losing love. Jealousy disappears when you  truly love yourself and others for whatever experience you’re having.
We should learn to be happy with ourselves and what we have. Everyone is different, and each person has good and bad qualities. It's important to realise that each one of us has the potential to create a better future.
Talking about our problems with someone helps us feel that these jealous tendencies are a private matter.
Irrational jealousy usually stems from our own insecurities and low self-esteem. Address these issues first.
Be happy for the other person. When you are jealous, you may think, "I like that; it would be nice to have that thing or experience." When you can be happy for another person's success and happiness, you allow positive feelings to flow into your life. Instead of being angry, congratulate the other person. Feel happy for the success of your co-workers or partners, and, most importantly, don't allow jealousy to destroy your relationship or your marriage.
I have never been jealous of anyone's success or happiness, yet I was occasionally jealous in a relationship. However, it was the kind of jealousy that I could control and it was never the reason to end a relationship. How about you? Are you jealous? And if you are how do you deal with it? 

The Pride of OXI Day

By Gary Van Haas

The magnificent Greek holiday Oxi Day is celebrated every year in Greece on October 28th and mostly remembered for general Ioannis Metaxas' strong reply of 'oxi' (no) to Mussolini's request to allow Italian troops to come into Greece at the beginning of WW II. The result of this stern message was powerful, and in the end, helped to maintain Greece’s course of neutrality for generations to come. Nevertheless, the Italians did invade Greece, but were subsequently driven back into Albania.



The story begins in 1935, when King George II was restored to the Greek throne by a rigged plebiscite, where he made the right-wing general Ioannis Metaxas prime minister. Nine months later, Metaxas assumed dictatorial powers with the king’s consent under the pretext of preventing a communist-inspired republican coup. The October 28 national holiday also marks the date in 1940 when Greece entered WWII.

On that cherished day in Greek history, prime minister Ioannis Metaxas not only rejected Italy's ultimatum, he chose the road of resistance, and thus saved his reputation as a dictator. Cypriot countrymen also drew inspiration from Greece's refusal to let Italian troops invade in 1940 in the face of continued Turkish agression. For that matter, parades are also staged by Greek communities around the world in celebration of Oxi Day.

Today in Greece, celebrations of Oxi Day culminate in a large, lavish military parade down the main boulevards of Athens and Thessoloniki. Soldiers, tanks, armoured vehicles and students parade through most Greek cities with an air of pride, and politicans in reviewing stands have an opportunity to show their own spirit to Greece and the resistance and how in future generations it should it should be continued. For tourists and foreigners, it's a proud spectacle to behold, so if you're ever in Greece during that time, be sure and see it!

Blog Action Day 2009 - Climate Change

I came across Blog Action Day 2009 - Climate Change on Anastasia's blog and thought I'd post some feedback as I happen to be very concerned about global warming and environmental issues, in general. As far as climate change is concerned in Greece, the future looks bleak.

1.The problem of parched land and drought will intensify and desertification will speed up.
2.Areas in seaside towns like Thessaloniki and Messolongi, will most likely find themselves under water.
3.The average annual temperature around the Mediterranean  increased by 1 degree Celsius compared with a 0.74 degree rise globally.
4. Greece's average rainfall in the past few years has fallen by about 30 percent since the mid 1970s. The month of January in 2007 was the driest in half a century while June 2008 was the hottest June on record, scientists have said.
5.Climate change is also affecting the flora and fauna of the country with migrating birds flying further north, citing a recent British study. Non-native viruses and diseases have also appeared.
6.The number of Greek forest fires will increase releasing even more carbon monoxide into the atmosphere .
This will have consequences to our health. Tourism will receive a blow.
7.The European Union's executive adopted plans  to cut greenhouse gas emissions, seeking to push the world into tough climate action.
8.Greece must meet its Kyoto (environmental) protocol targets diligently.The country must boost alternative energy production, increase investment in energy-saving measures and include climate change measures in every policy.

Climate change is a global problem in need of a global solution. This is why I believe that raising awareness is as important as ever before.

10 Honest Things

I was tagged by Anastasia to reveal 10 honest things about myself. So here goes.
1. I hate to drive and I rarely use my car in the city.
2. When I invite a lady out to dinner, I feel very offended if she offers to pay the bill.
3. I don't like skinny women or women who eat only salads and low-fat yogurt. They look permanently ill.
4. I am a very introvert person, I don't easily open up to others and I prefer to keep certain things to myself. However, I honestly hate keeping up appearances.
5. What relaxes me most after a long day at work is a glass of red wine, a good book and Billy Joel's music.

6. The most valuable possession I have is an old gold cross given to me by my grandmother a few days before she passed away.
7. I enjoy visiting museums. In fact I can spend hours exploring them as I believe it's the best way to learn about a country's history and culture.
8. I can occasionally tell a white lie if I feel the truth might hurt soemeone I love.
10. I do my best not to be bossy with my children although sometimes I can't avoid it.

Now I am supposed to pass the tag to 7 bloggers but I'd rather leave it open to anyone who would like to share 10 honest things about themselves.

Heather's Apple-Zucchini Muffins

The first time I heard about this kind of muffins was on Heather's blog. So I thought I'd give her recipe a try and see what happens. Well..here they are and , beleive me they are delicious! Please be lenient, that was the first time I've ever baked apple-zucchini muffins but they are soooo tasty! Here's Heather's recipe:

Apple Zucchini MuffinsAdapted from Easy Gluten Free Baking from Elizabeth Barbone1 cup white rice flour1/2 cup of sweet rice flour1/4 of cornstarch1 tablespoon of baking powder* Please note that if you are using a mix, or if you are making these using regular flour, this is where you will pick up from 6 Tbs butter (vegan works fine with this recipe) 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup of applesauce, OR 1 egg 3/4 cup of milk (almond, coconut or rice can be substituted) If you are using large fruit like cranberries, blueberries or raspberries, you will use 3/4 cupIf using grated veggies or fruit like apple or zucchini, you will use 1 to 1/2 cups.For the apple zucchini muffins I added in 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmegPreheat over to 350Whisk together dry ingredientsIn a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar for one minuteAdd egg or applesauceBlend wellAdd half of the dry ingredients and mix until dough formsAdd milkAdd spices of choiceIn a small bowl, coat fruit with the cornstarch and fold into batter along with 1/2 cup of oats if desiredSpoon batter into muffin tins and either freeze or bake for 15-20 minutesFor frozen muffins, the cooking time may be a bit longerRemove and cool.

Future Perfect

Our vision for the future might hold one of these two possibilities. We could be dreaming about some enjoyment that hopefully lies ahead, or worried about some looming hardship. Often the enjoyment in our lives is put on hold, we just need more time and money. We just have to work a little harder. Too many things can go wrong with this and we may not be able to do it later for various reasons. If we put off our enjoyment of life until later, it may take longer than we think, or it may never happen the way that we envisioned it.

We should not throw away our precious todays in anticipation of good times, not when we can have days of enjoyment and satisfaction now. Perhaps it's time for an examination of our style of life and our wants and needs, now and for the future. It is good to imagine a happy future and make plans for it but we should not put off the happiness we can have today. So why not live each day as if the future plans may not materialise.

"We are never living, but only hoping to live; and, looking forward always to being happy, it is inevitable that we never are so." - Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Worrying over something that is going to happen will make our lives stressful and less happy. After examining an upcoming difficult or seemingly disastrous situation, if there is something that can be done to improve on it, do it. If not, and the event cannot or should not be avoided, then accept the fact and start thinking about something else. Worrying about it will not only be a total waste of time but it will increase anxiety, and things will seem even worse than they really are. "The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." Buddha (BC)

I believe that we are the architects of our own future.You have the choice to choose your career, the country you live in, the friends you hang out with, how you go through life (half empty or half full), even the food you eat tonight and the music you listen to. I know that is not entirely true because there are people who do not have these choices, but in my opinion, as long as you have your health and your freedom, then you have all these choices available to you, even if it requires some time and work to get the means to be able to make the choice . Every choice you make right now has an impact on your future and the future of many others. Whether you want to accept this or not, it is true.

The thing with choices is that you will never know if a choice leads to success or failure until after the time. Even if the choice has the best chance of future success (like going to college to get a degree), success is not guaranteed. There is no sense in worrying about the outcome of a choice. Once you are able to accept this, then you are more free to make a choice and have the attitude of “I made this choice, and I am going to do everything as best as I can, and things will turn out the way they do”But…if you don’t know what you want, where your passions lie, then how can you make the right choices for yourself?

We all aspire to a happier life and certainly a happier future. To achieve this, we need to think positive, make choices and sometimes take risks.