Our engagement party

X and I got engaged at our home town, Veria, in Greece on 31-8-13. This post is the first one, with photos of us and the second post will be with photos of family and friends.

Our engagement party at Ktima Kalaitzis

 

The place-cards and favors

Table decoration

Getting ready

Our engagement rings

The cake

We are engaged!

Getting darker

Well into the night

Internet inspiration

Still waiting for summer in Germany and this is the last weekend of June. Don't care any more, I'll be patient until the day we fly to Greece for one whole month. Not easy!

As I'm writing I'm sipping italian cream soda (recipe from here ) I made with my self-made strawberry syrup (recipe from here ). All around me on my desk I have supplies and mini books created for two online classes 

1.Stories of the summer

2. Find your voice

I have to admit my life would not be the same without the internet. Some (I won't name them!) may say I spend a lot of my time online but I'm just happy I've replaced magazines with blogs. (Not really, I still love printed (and online!) magazines!)  I just appreciate the hard work that goes on every blog-post and I've found so many kindred spirits...

Yesterday I joined a gym for the first time in my life. I always thought I hated gyms. And running. I love riding my bike (and Munich is the perfect place for that) and swimming (but only in the sea. No lakes, no pools. Munich not so good about that!) but I knew I needed to do the best for my body and health so I took the plunge and along with riding my bike I got a gym membership. A gym with sauna. That's a good start!

So yesterday, on my first day I used one machine (the elliptical- but I didn't know it had a name at the time, I'm so clueless!) for 30 minutes and it turns out I run 5km, an achievement many strive to. I want to remind you that I have NEVER run in my life, and I've always claimed I wouldn't- even to save my life. But -and here comes internet again- I had joined a secret facebook group about health and fitness and it is so inspiring I knew I could do it!

Why am I writing all this random stuff? Because this is my blog and I can! No, seriously, it's just that internet has changed my life and offered me so much...And because it is never too late to change your mind about a good thing, a little encouragement even from strangers goes a long way! (not that I had little encouragement from loved ones, I must be fair!).

Dad, I love you so much

Yesterday it was Father's Day. I wanted to celebrate my dad even though I am in Germany and he is in Greece so my mum, my sister and me organized his surprise (his presents, hidden in our childhood room) and I was to call him and guide him to find them. He was alone as my mum was in the city my sister lives, they had two christenings to attend... I was to call him at about the time he gets back to the house from the Kafenio* he goes to every morning. My sister couldn't because of the already mentioned christenings so even though we were in a trip with the chorus C. is a member of, I called. And called. And called. He also has a cell phone but it is rarely somewhere around him so... no luck with that either! I thought "Mum is not there so maybe he's eating out with friends." My cell battery was low after all those attempts to find him and I was having such a great time, I decided to call again in the afternoon. My dad is also a fan of siesta, no sense in searching for him between 15:00 and 18:00.

At the house of C.'s parents, at about 18:00, I charged my cell phone and tried again. Still no answer. At that point it was about time to get panicked. My dad was not feeling himself for the last couple of months, he was tired, he is 71 years old and has rich medical history, with a double heart bypass as highlight. I called my mum (in my sister's house) to ask if they had spoken with him today. No, was the answer and we will send your uncle to check on him, she said, also panicked. 

The story has a happy end. My uncle was there just in time to catch him before his bath, I can't imagine what he would have to do if dad hadn't answered the door! My  dad had done some "handiwork" and as a result the cordless telephone had no electricity to function (but he had no idea about that) and of course he had forgotten his cell phone in his car.

I got to finally talk to him at 22:00 when I was back home, with Skype. He was laughing like a mischievous kid and I was just so happy to see him... I led him to his presents and everything in the world was wonderful again. All this helped me realize even more how much i love him, how precious he is to me, that I can't imagine my life without him and how easy it is to lose our happiness in just one second. I miss him every day, I feel I'm losing so much, even though we skype every day... I know I'm lucky I still have him, that he is my father to begin with...

All my childhood photos are at my parents home (I will scan every each and one of them on my next trip) so some recent of him with my  niece and  nephew will have to do!

Σ'αγαπώ πολύ μπαμπά μου!

* Kafenio is a traditional Greek cafe  only older men frequent.

Labels for herbs made of chalkboard cardstock

On this day last year we moved to our -rented- house.

Well, we are celebrating! We are very happy here and we love our garden! I wish the weather was normal so we could enjoy it more!

Today was the perfect day to plant some herbs, as a gift to our home! I planted them indoors as I have an ongoing war with slugs. Last summer I planted a basil and the next morning there was nothing left of it, only the disgusting trail of those creatures.

Three herbs were planted as seeds: basil, dill and parsley. We'll have to wait a little bit for those.

But I couldn't wait for mint, I need it pronto for mojitos!

I hope they are all happy next to the cyclamen X. bought for me. It is a little crazy, it's blooming for the second time, the first was in November... 

Of course I made labels for the herbs because I will have forgotten who is who in the time it will take them to get big enough for me to recognize them. But mainly because I like labels! I cut with decorative scissors tabs from chalkboard cardstock and I wrote with chalk the greek name of each herb. And then I used washi tape to stick them on  wooden sticks and... ready!

Now we'll need some sunshine!

Happy Holidays!