in Attica

at Agoriani (on mount Parnassos)

whatever the question, the answer is always joy

my word for 2012: joy

When bad things happen, you can either go towards despair or hope. I pray that I always choose hope. I pray that I keep on seeing my blessings and be thankful for them.

So, no matter what 2012 will bring, I pray that my heart will be soft to love and tough to pain. And that I always choose JOY! I trully believe that Jesus knew something very deep about the human nature and its tendency towards sadness/melancholia/depression, because He called (and still does call) us again and again and again to be full of joy all the time.

Trying to be faithful to my joy-word, we decided to let the robbery and all that behind us and we took aour car and travelled about 2.5 hours from Athens to Agoriani. It is a small village on the mountain Parnassos. It is a beautiful place to be. We chased after the snow and YES! we did find some.

We made a short stop to streach our legs and drink a tsipouro (strong!!!) at Polydroso. You can already see some of the snow up on the mountains at the back.

 Finally at Agoriani. The day was clear, the sky wonderfully blue and the moon becoming fuller and fuller. A very peaceful sight. It makes me dream of heaven and togetherness.

And then we were finally in the snow!!! Is was too icy for us to play with, but snowy enough for be to be happyhappyhappyyyyyy!!!!

To finish of a great day, we also had a great dinner.

And let us not forget that it is still Christmas time, after all. Today in Greece we celebrate the baptising of Jesus from John.

Every trip away from our "normal" life, makes we re-evaluate what is trully important. For me, it is my Jesus and my husband. Both are faces of love in my life. I have never been scared of them, I don't fear of losing their love or faith. I remember a quote John Piper said about his wife, that he is often embarred to tell her his thoughts/doings/etc, but never afraid. This is what I call love.

We are like these two lamplights in the wind. Yes, we may love each other, but life is so confusing sometimes that we need someone to place our hopes into, someone to hold us together. We are blessed to have this strong branch as our beautiful Father.

Change and faith (a long post)

I very so often find myself losing balance. My feelings go up and down. What was important and urgent yesterday is not anymore. Who I was is not who I am. So, who am I? How can I make sure that what I feel today is true? How do I know?

Do you ever feel somehow lost in this way? Well, not really “lost”, but mostly like you are moving in a grey area. You know that you don’t want to move back to your past, where it was safe and familiar, but where you were not really happy. You also know that you want to move forward into your future, but you don’t really know what that future is, what it holds for you or how to work your way towards it. And will that future actually make you happy?

Oh, so many questions!!! How do you overcome them? How do you overcome fear and doubt, without letting them freeze you into place? I know that I am a creative being and that I am a risk taker. But I am also someone who needs to think things through again and again and again before actually moving into action. But, oh yes, I am also someone who needs things done NOW (I am not good with patients – don’t worry, I am working on it). 

So, how do you do it? How do you move forward? My answer is this:faith. Yes, butfaith in what? Faith that it will all work out, maybe not in the way I had imagined, maybe not at the time I had wishes; but it all works out for one's own best. Faith in God, and in the way each one of us is sopposed to walk. We are on a path. We are travelers. We can't stay put! That's not an option. Not if we want to live a full life.

So, I embrace change and keep the faith.

 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

JOHN 10:10

P.S. I spent the weekend thinking about all this and much more on Palaios Panteleimonas (a village on Olympus). 

Lost in so much fog, I thought I was in a thriller.

(so that you don't start thinking that I am too serious a person :))))



There were also beautiful plants.





And art-works.

And I also made some art.

All this, while listening to the wonderful Priscilla Ahn 

Oneirologio - a place to dream

This weekend we went to Ano Doliana in Arcadia. We go there 2-3 times a year, in order to clean our minds from Athens and fill them with joy. A big part of this “filling” process are Vicky and Giorgos. They are two wonderful souls and artists. But, most of all, they are two wooooooooooooooooooonderful friends. I am proud to carry them in my heart.

Vicky and Giorgos are of those "crazy" people who a few years ago left Athens, met in Tripoli, fell in love, went to Ano Doliana, where they made:
- Two children (Kostis and –for now—Tazoulis)

- A beautiful cafe
- A cute workshop.

The café is called ONEIROLOGIO (a place from dreams). And their workshop is called MIN PETAXEIS TIPOTA (throw nothing away). At the cafe you can drink great coffee and rakomelo, have amazing mezedakia (snacks), also kastanokarydopitta (pie with chestnuts and hazelnuts) and chocolate crepe. In their workshop you can buy amazing artworks, made with decoupage. Mostly, though, you meet and love this wonderful family. 

 

 

Some people are guide lights in my life. Vicky and Giorgos  are definitely in that category. I love you, guys!!!!!


Look for the "Oneirologio" and "Min petaxeis tipota" at:
Skai - "Spin»: http://www.skai.gr/player/TV/?MMID=205963
in.gr  agro tourism: http://agro.in.gr/breaks/article/?aid=1231077145

(both links in Greek)

Find them on facebook:
http://el-gr.facebook.com/people/Oneirologio-Ano-Doliana/1655014784