Beautiful Christmas cards

One of the nicest and most talented people you'll find in blogoland has just created a lovely set of Christmas cards. They are so chic and so unique, I invite you to check them out here.

Anne also creates beautiful interior landscapes, cards and notecards and accepts commisions.

Hello! Let's do this together

Hello dear friends,
I hope you are all doing well!
I didin't stop by anyone's place in the past few days. The phone connection was off at home and I stayed at home for a few days. I have an appointment with my homeopath on Thursday. Some old cold, perhaps, triggered by the past few days' constant rain. I do love rain.

On Sunday we went to a mini trip to meet a prospective client. Lovely new places. Forests which I love...I may show you some pictures one of these days, once I transfer them to the computer at home (this one, at work, does not have a picture managing program).

I want to let you know of a request I found at this site. Please send your nicest Christmas cards to that boy!
A new address is at the bottom of the post here.

Nice as they are, I decided to send "Mary Christmas' and not "Seasons Greetings" cards. If I am not offended by other people celebrating their holidays, why should they be?

Sweet blessings to all of you.

Skywatch Friday-Shelter in the church

(Click to view larger)

 ^" O God, listen to my cry!
      Hear my prayer!
  From the ends of the earth,
      I cry to you for help
      when my heart is overwhelmed.
   Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
     for you are my safe refuge,
      a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
  Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
      safe beneath the shelter of your wings!"

(Psalm 61, NLT)

All His beautiful creatures under the wide sheltering sky.

Thank you for stopping by! Do leave a message and I shall stop bya nd say hello.
With extra thanks to the Skywatch people!

Your rubbish=My treasure~ Show and Tell

In the past few weeks I have indulged in some serious decorating both at work and at home. Truth is, I did some clothes shopping,too. My expanded waistline, thanks to some traditional home cooking in the past couple of weeks, required a pair of black elastic waist trousers and a long, brown, elastic waist skirt. Oh what a blessing to be able to think nicer thoughts than fat-fat-fat!  But nice as this may feel,this is not the kind of shopping I'm talking about.
(N.B. When they tell you that Mediterranean Diet is healthy, they also fail to tell you it is fattening, unless you walk the sheep to high pastures every day or raw a boat. It IS healthy, though, olive oil, veggies et al).

Now, I talk here about vintage. In Grece, much to my surprise, there are no garage sales. You would think that in a country with not much of an economy, people would be willing to sell or share. Not. I tried to introduce the concept in the Girl Guides, but people were reluctant to part with their kids' unwanted books or board games, let alone buy anything less than perfect in our one bazaar. No, no such a thing.

On the other hand, a very nice lady who was the girls' ballet teacher, offered me, and I gladly accepted, her teenage son's baby clothes which lasted J up to the age of three. But she had spent more than half of her life in France. And as we all know, the French know a thing or two about brocante.

What have I been stocking on, you might ask. I am going to show you in a moment. Hint: these items below are part of my Christmas wishlist.

I love my new old treasures and I was equally thrilled to receive some presents full of love and kind thoughts.
As you might have guessed, what I longed for was some housewares. I got really nostalgic. I stocked on some well worn Golden books. A brooch that very much looked like one I remember my mom wearing. I received some doilies. And some old post-cards that I'm going to show you soon.

I increasingly desired a corner of my own, where I would indulge in some more romantic, more feminine elements. And, thank God, it is happening. Here, have a look. This is my little corner in the attic.

Which houses some lovingly sent treasures

 

Lovely vintage lace. Paper and envelopes.

And this is my little cross-stitching corner in the den.

So now you know...Before you throw away your 70s melamine, old enamel pots and depression glass, there is someone across the pond, waiting to treasure them!

With thanks to Cindy for hosting.

Skywatch Friday-Candy Floss

(Click image to view larger).
Beautiful, fluffy autumn clouds travelling in the great blue sky. An afternoon last week, on  my way to work.

Thank you for stopping by and commenting! I promise to stop by and say hello, too!

With Thanks to the Skywatch people.

Enjoy the weekend.

Top Secret

Do you get spam messages? I get  a lot. Every day. Most of them go straight into the bin. There are offers I never asked for. Blue pills from pharmacies eager to sell them. Russian ladies who want to know me intimately. Or my husband. Indian fabric manufacturers. Japanese electronics giants who close down and want me to have their goods for next to nothing. Oh and banks who want me to confirm my account following a certain link. (I don't).
There are spams that belong to a category of their own. There are lengthy e-mails from African widows and relatives of Iraqui resistance fighters who want me to help them touch the money their dear ones left them. These are usually ready to read, no attachments. So, after i deal with the company mail, I sit back and read the day's spam mail.

Today's mail from Mrs Aminatu BOLKIAH is quite interesting so I thought I'd share it with you. It reads:

Dear friend,

Greetings to you, I got your contact detail via business guide of your country, and based on the further explicit investment information about your country from my research, i wish to invest in your country under your supervision.

Mrs. Aminatu Bolkiah, wife to Prince Jefri Bolkiah former finance minister of Brunei, the tiny oil-rich sultanate on the Gulf Island of Borneo. Let me save time by not amplifying my extended royal family history, which has already been disseminated by the international media during the controversial dispute that erupted between my husband and his step brother, the sultan of Brunei Sheik Muda Hassanal Bolkiah.

As you may know from the international media, the sultan had accused my husband of financial mismanagement and impropriety of US$14.8 Billion dollars. This was as a result of the Asian financial crisis that made my husband's company Amedeo Development Company declared bankrupt during his tenure in office. However, my husband is in jail now, his bank accounts and private properties including a crude oil export refinery have been confiscated by the sultanate.

Furthermore, during this unfortunate period, I was advised to evacuate out of the country to avoid further prosecution from the sultanate and his security operatives, but unfortunately for me i was incarcerated by the Sultanate, he has seized my passport and ordered his military guards to be monitoring my movement. Presently i have not access to a phone but I have a Palm hand-held computer from which I am sending you this mail.

Before I was incarcerated, I have already dispatched the sum of Forty Million Euros {EUR 40,000,000.00 Ђ} in cash, through diplomatic arrangement to Luxembourg. The funds where splinted into two parts and were canceled in two security proof boxes, the boxes are currently deposited into the custody of European Diplomatic Storage Facility Unit in Luxembourg, for safe keeping. I am afraid i do not want the sultanate of Brunei to know about these funds, and otherwise could seize it. Therefore, i want to start investing these funds secretly in abroad.

I hereby seek your consent to have you as my representative; i want you to help me invest these funds secretly in your country to facilitate future survival for me abroad. Firstly, you will help me to retrieve the funds consignments / boxes, from the European Diplomatic Storage Facility Unit where it’s currently deposited in Luxembourg. You can ask the diplomats to deliver the boxes to your door step address in your country, via diplomatic means, and the boxes can not be checked by the customs due to the diplomatic immunity.

Since there will be an expenditure from your side, I agree that you will be part of the beneficiary of any investment made with the funds. Also, I am willing to offer you 20% of the total funds in the boxes as compensation for your effort. Ok.

Please, you have to keep this as a top secret between you and me, as i do not want anybody else to know about my contact with you. I count on your absolute confidentiality, transparency and trust while looking forward to your prompt reply towards a swift conclusion of this transaction.

For security reasons, kindly reply via my private email address:...

What do you say? Shall I accept? Then I could notify everyone in my Follow-Me list and we could all head for the Carribean. Or a sunny Greek island for that matter.
P.S. You know I won't do that, don't you? Not by answering a spam mailing at least. But it makes you think. Why would people write such ridiculous texts to cheat on other people? And are there people who really believe that someone wants to give them some millions of dollars? Are people getting that silly? god forbid!

I hope you had a good laugh, though. Have a beautiful week!

Thankful Thursday-Embracing change

Highly resistable at times. Highle recommended at others.
Change like the falling leaves of the season. The promises of comfort and hibernation. The expectation of a new Spring. The dream of a new Summertime.
Ever evolving, ever changing like all of God's creations.

We were watching last night a documentary about life on Earth. Imagine if all of those creatures past had resisted change. We might not be here today at all, just by refusing to follow on God's plan. Are we not God's most stubborn creature!
But in His unlimited kindness and love, God sees that we are left to our own devices until one day we come to our senses. Blessed awakenings of the human soul!
I am thankful for the changes God has  brought to my path and for the ones He is going to bring. He knows what is best for me and my family, and I (finally) trust in Him. Everything I have ever done, all the detours I have taken by my own free will, were meant to bring me where I am.
I am thankful for His bringing our family to His way. I am so saddened when I recall the blind wanderings of the past.  I am so thankful when a nice observation comes from my husband's lips when He hears a hymn he likes. I am so thankful for my children saying grace before lunch.
I am thankful for Life. A great big miracle seen everywhere we look, happening at this very moment.
I am thankful for the little everyday joys, the lows and the highs that make up our lives.
Blessed be Your name. Amen.
(With Thanks to Lynn for hosting)

Amended to add: Later tonight I surfed around a couple of my favorite creative people/blogs. I found the following at Soule Mama that I think fits very well with what I discussed above.
 Amanda writes: 

":::: I did a very sad/happy thing this week with a nearly finished Flair. It's been sitting since spring, when I had decided something just wasn't right. I still don't know what I didn't like about i, it wasn't the pattern. Maybe it's the sleeves - the length was off. Or the cotton - I really do love wool best for sweaters. Anyway, I let it sit all summer....and just last week decided it was time to move on. And so now that sweater (above), looks like this (below). [from cardi to yarn]

Moving on and letting go is scary and good all at the same time...even when we're just talking about yarn. But it does always feel very, very good. New beginnings are exciting. Now, what to make with 900 yards of Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton? Hmn...I think someone is happy with them just precisely as they are."

'night-'night!

Greek National Day-October 28,1940

Remembering to say "NO", even to the most enticing proposals that don't agree with our beliefs and souls.

The Greek National Governor Ioannis Metaxas who refused the Italian Army crossing Greece. Followed the Italian attack and the epic fight on the mountains of Northern Epirus, NW Greece, now occupied by Albania.
Read a little article here.

Both my grandfather and C's grandfather fought in the war. C's grandfather was an army officer. My grandfather was in the cavalry and with his own horse acted as a messanger. May they both and those who fought with them rest in peace.

And may Our Lady have mercy on us and always bless and protect our beloved fatherland.

October 26th:St.Demetrios and The Liberation of Thessaloniki (1912)

God, who gave you invincible power 
and with care kept your city invulnerable, 
royally clothed the Church in purple 
with the streams of your blood, 
for you are her strength, O Demetrios.

A bif festive day today. We celebrate St.Demetrios, the patron saint of the northern city of Thessaloniki. The city also celebrates its liberation from the Turks on October 26th, 1912.
The saint has many times called upon by the people to pledge to God for the protection of his native city. In his icon we can see one of his many miracles, his victory over the Bulgarian agressors in 1207.

May we always have his blessing and protection.

Weekend ahead

Saturday. Today I'd normally look forward to the weekend. I like Saturday after work. Last year we used to go out for lunch with a couple of friends and our families. They are Christian and it was comforting. this year there has been a distance growing bigger. Although we still are on friendly terms, they have mooved further along in a fashionista/public relations direction which has left our kids itchy and me feeling quite uncomfortable. Have you ever felt like smiling to a person but not wanting to look at them in the eye by fear that they may show your feelings of resentment?

(Picture from The Hermitage)

C has been very uptight with how the house looks. I am trying to be as calm as I possibly can when I explain that I cannot run after everyone and pick their clothes, dirty or otherwise, books, papers and stuff. I can hardly keep up with mine. I can squeeze in J's. But that's it. I am sticking my feet on the floor and don't move from that position. Full stop.

I think I expect too much of myself. Or I have too many balls in my hands. Whichever. Blame me if you want, but there are things I want to do, that I have wanted to do for a very long time, and which I want to do before age or illness make them impossible. Perhaps it's my growing up, but there you have it. I need my week ends to be as God intended them, a time to relax and do pleasant things. And that includes baking a cake or making cookies with my daughters, saying our evening prayers together and going for a walk.

It is perhaps my guilt-full education, but I do have this fear that I want to share with you, wise people. I fear that if I ask alot I may end up with time in my hands but sick and unemployed or without my familly. Is that "mind what you ask for " mindset familiar to you?

Thanks for reading. God bless you all.