Christmas bazaar

Last sunday was our annual Christmas bazaar. As every year we organized the childrens' playroom and as every year it was a great success. The kids (about 330 of them!) had a good time playing the various games we had prepared.

Here we are, just before the children stormed in.

Always popoular with girls and boys: face painting. This year there were a lot of butterflies, princesses, flowers for the girls and of course spiderman, ghosts and pirates for the boys.

And of course the Green Fox was present as well. The sale of our 100% handmade shopping bags went well and made us some much needed cash.

Contrasts and cookies

This morning, when I looked out of my hobby room the sky was blue and the sun was shining.

The very same moment though, the room from the opposite window in my hobby room gave a totally different picture. It was raining heavily and there were dark clouds.

This afternoon the same again: this is the view from the garden looking to the left:

And looking to the right:

Both sides are beautiful, don't you agree. ?

I just finished making the ultimate, traditional dutch winter cookies, speculaas. At least for me it is a typical winter cookie. Since a few years you can buy them ready made here as well. Only it is called speculoos. I never really found out why that is.

The home made ones are the best, the whole house smells of the spices used for this cookie.

This is the special form I use for getting the shape. It is quite old, since I have brought it from Holland about 26 years ago, but it still works.

Here they are ready to go into the oven and

Now I just have to wait for them to cool down and mmmm, I wish you could smell and taste them as well.

How to come back

After such a long absence. It is not easy. So much happens in 6 months time. I guess I'll just skip the update alltogether and just continue as if nothing has happened. (Just a note to myself for next summer....don't ever plan again to continue the blog in the summer, because that is not going to happen.) I more or less lead two lives. One in the summertime with a lot of work and not much time for anything else and one in the wintertime with a lot of free time to spare.

And the wintertime is the time to share anything of my life. I feel already a lot better now that I have settled that.

It's coming on Christmas and I have seen a lot of blog-friends with their trees up. Our tree is up as well and there is nothing trendy or modern about our masterpiece in the living-room!

It is full of ornaments that we have collected over the years. Many are home made, some

are totally awful -objectively seen- but still beautiful because my children chose them. I love our tree and I am sure my two boys will love it too when they come home for Christmas. Another 9 days and they'll be here. I can't wait.

It still is strange to me to prepare for Christmas while the weather reminds me of a Dutch summer. Well maybe not summer but early autumn then.

Having said that....20 years ago, when I was 7 months pregnant with my eldest son, we were snowed in for 1 week with no electricity and no water and this started on the 7th of December! It was fun for a bit but after a couple of days it was getting a little difficult. I spent my hours in daylight knitting little sweaters for the baby. The evenings with candle light and a blazing fire. It sounds more romantic than it was. Luckily one remembers the nice parts, and not the smelly bits!

Aaah, it's good to be back!

A cloudy summer

Metaphorically speaking.

Our little island is slowly filling up with holiday makers from all over the world. Most of them looking for a well deserved rest and some sunshine to relax in and of course some good food which we are doing our best for to serve. Many, if not most, of our customers come back year after year and every day we can greet some old friends back.

As every summer, I am so concentrated on work that there is little time for anything else, except of work, my daily swim and of course the bottles . Not watching any news or reading any news papers. But this summer especcially it is impossible not to be confronted with what is going on in this beautiful country.

I have been thinking about it very much and have just now decided not to give in to this all depressing atmosphere and stay as positive as possible.

Therefore I changed the old header picture, that reminded me of the heavy clouds hanging over us for a brighter one with lots of sunshine.

Because that is what we have to look at.

All is going to be well and I sincerely believe that.

First two pictures taken with my new mobile. One is outside my mother in law's house and the second is of the garden (totally off topic but who cares...)

A scary experience

I have written before about the Green Fox project and although I had promised not to write on this blog about it anymore, I just have to because it has become such a major thing in my life. The project is going extremely well and we are collecting bottles galore.

The last few days we have had a lot of publicity. Newspapers and blogs have been writing about us, which is good because the Green Fox gets more known.

And then today a TV channel came and filmed and interviewed us. And this was the scary experience. I was dreading it anyway but when the camera zoomed in on me and the interviewer asked me an question....I just blocked and stumbled and turned red and that was for sure the beginning and the end of a tv career for me. They will have to cut out my contribution , at least I hope they will. But as long as the message comes across, it's ok with me.

And the lady with the camera didn't look scary at all....until she turned her camera on me!

First full moon this summer

Every year in May I am looking forward to the full moon. It is such a spectacular view from where I live and work.

There is this saying that a picture is worth more than a thousand words. In this case you will have to draw the picture in your mind because my little camera would do no justice to this truly amazing sight.

Overlooking the dark blue sea, in the distance are two tiny islands and from behind the left island rises a gigantic orange ball. It is bigger than the small island. It rises so fast that you can almost see it move. In a few minutes it will reach its highest point and slowly change in colour from orange to yellow and throw a beam of light over the sea. It is breathtaking.

There are not so many guests dining at the taverna at the moment, it is only the beginning of the season, but I know for sure every one of them feels blessed to be able to admire it.

And that is how I feel too.

Have a good summer or Καλό καλοκαίρι!

When it comes to season's greetings, in Greece there are more than just Christmas and Easter wishes. I wrote about it before. We can add another one since this is the time of year where everybody wishes: "have a good summer". And that is not only for businesses that are dependant on the tourist season like my work. And around October it will be: "Have a good winter". Somehow spring and autumn are not in the picture for this kind of wishes.

I am still not quite sure if I am superstitious or not. But Friday the 13th has a certain sound to it, that to most people - myself included- reminds of disaster, doom and mishap.

Nevertheless it didn't stop us from opening our taverna for the summer season 2011. This means from now on until October: work full time and a view from my desk that is as follows:

Oh no I am not complaining.....

Instead wishing everybody a good summer...Καλό καλοκαίρι.