hi!

Hello world!

How are you lovely people?

I really hope you're enjoying the new season!

Autumn has been here for a while; it's the time for pomegranades,

pumpkins and chrysanthemums around here.

I'm trying very hard to squeeze some moments of seasonal appreciation in

my otherwise crazy life.

I haven't just been busy lately; I've been crazy busy!

I haven't finished reading a single book since schools started;

I haven't done much progress with my crochet project;

I haven't even cleaned and organised the place properly since summer

and my wardrobe is a chaotic mixture of summer and winter clothes!

(I'm actually working on this today)

The reason I've found some time to be here today is the long weekend ahead,

which means there are no schools tomorrow. Yay!!!

So, do tell! What have you been up to lately?

Though, I have to admit, I do stop by your places on my ... free time(?) - more like free minutes! Somewhere between studying with my first-grader,  preparing my work for the next day and keeping up with the most basic housework requirements, I check on my favourite bloggers whenever I'm online.

Well, this is it for now.

I don't know when I'll be back with a new post but I do come here every day so I'll definetely know if you waved 'hello'.

Take Care!

xxx

september

I love this month's picture from my calendar!

It's not very autumnal, but neither is the atmosphere here.

It's hotter and more humid than August!

There is some promise of a change in seasons in the evening breeze

but other than that, summer is still here.

 Of course, we (I)'ve eating a lot of grapes,

but I long for a change in the air as well.

I long for cooler afternoons, I long for cardigans and I almost can't wait to snuggle under my crochet blanket.

And I long for rain!!! Where are the August showers I love so much? I would even be happy with a whole-day beautiful September drizzle. As long as there's water falling from the sky.

I find myself completely disorganised these days. My mind is scattered here and there (I still don't know which school I'll be working at - at least I know where I'll be living!)

I've got hundreds of items in my (mental) to-do list and don't know where to start. Well, I do know where to start: my son's room. I need to de-clutter it and get rid of toys and baby clothes and baby books, have it painted and then do the fun part : decorate it!



I somehow feel that all the stress I had in the previous weeks, waiting for my job placement,

hasn't lifted yet. All I want to do is read and crochet and lay back.

Well, this is not the right time to lay back!

I need to pull my act together!

Classes start on Monday.

And I want my son to have a warm, welcoming room to get back to after school.

November

this is what the first day of november looked like at 7 this morning;

it got bright and sunny by 10 but, nontheless, it started off as a proper autumn day and month.

november will take me home twice for the two rounds of regional elections - this weekend and the next one; mind you, we're talking about four-day weekends as the schools are voting centres. :)

~~~~~

on a different note, i've been reading and enjoying lots of interviews in blogland; interviews of bloggers who are usually creative in one way or another.
this gave me an idea: why not interview each other? we don't need to be particularly creative or anything; we can do the interview around the contents of the blog- for instance, if a blogger writes mostly about her family, it could be about that. i would definitely like to get to know you better and i wouldn't mind being interviewed.

tell me if you're interested by leaving a comment here and please offer some ideas as well if you have any; could we include a card in the mail, too; something like a low budget swap? would you like to be an interviewee, an interviewer, or preferably both?

oh, do tell!

~~~~~~

have a gorgeous november!!!

take care!

xxx

ps. i've got some mail goodies to show you; i'm expecting a couple more parcels and then you'll see what nice people there are around the globe!

it's cold

(art via here)

That's exactly how it feels here these days.

I don't ever remember switching the heat on this early in the season!

Good thing we're going home tomorrow to get some warm clothes!

Happy Weekend everyone!

xxx

october

(images from last October)

~~~~~
hello and welcome, dear October!

I've been waiting for you.

you'll bring me happiness, won't you?

~ you'll take me home next weekend - come friday, don't be late!

~ you'll paint my life with your warm colours - so many trees around me; can't wait to see their new clothes.

~ you'll send me birthday wishes from near and from far away - I know you will!

~you'll make me cry ( I know) with the news of the birth of a baby boy

~ you'll bring my dad to stay for a few weeks - I love watching soap operas with him ( I never do it when he's not around) and listening to stories of times gone by.
~ you'll make me wear warm clothes and boots - I love warm clothes and boots

~ you'll introduce me to musicians and authors unknown so far to me (via snail mail - love it!)

~~~~~

I'm ready for you October!
~~~~~

Happy October everyone!

xxx

September:: a new month, a new season, new beginnings

hello, hello, and welcome to my little place!

how're you all doing?

we've been very busy lately over here;

we all travelled east on Wednesday to find a new nest for little one and me;

I'll be working at two schools, in two villages

and we've found the cutest, most adorable place to stay- more on that when we've settled in.

little one is now officially enrolled at kindergarten

and schools start for both of us next Monday the 13th.

I'm typing this at home, surrounded by suitcases and cardboard boxes

and a general mess;

moving-day is on Thursday and hubby's going to stay for a few days before he comes back here alone.

~~~~~~

now, the pictures below show the river that runs right out my doorstep;

well, not literally; it's about a-five-minute walk away! oh, yes, indeed!

I took the pictures at a nearby village, but it's the same, beautiful river.

the first thing I took out when we came back here was little one's wellies;

great spot for a picnic, right?

I don't know how soon I'll have an internet connection,

so I've no idea when I'll be back,

but whenever this is I'll start my visits over at your places.

~~~~~~

Hope you all have a wonderful new season!

I'm looking forward to enjoying autumn in the countryside.

~~~~~~

Take Care!

Sunday Outing...

... to Palios Panteleimonas,

a mountainous, traditional village near Mt Olympus.

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments!

Have a wonderful week!

xxx

White Chrysanthemums...

... on my kitchen table...

... on my bedside table...

... on my desk.

Thank you all for your wonderful, meaningful comments on my last post. I'm so happy to see that lots of people love reading.
I've been planning a giveaway for a while now but still not ready as I have ordered something for you and it hasn't arrived yet; hope it's here by the end of the week.
Have a lovely week!
xxx

November

Hello ladies!

I just got back from work, prepared little one a snack -he's always hungry when we come home although he's had lunch at school- and sat at my desk to wish you all a wonderful, sweet, cosy November and show you a few of the things we did over our stay-at-home weekend.

Soooo, ...

...there was changing pots to some newly acquired herbs (thyme and oregano); I know this sounds more like a spring task but the little plants were a gift

... there was a ♥ precious ♥ family breakfast


... there were beautiful colours in the sky (please ignore the rooftops)


... there was a delicious, warm meal on Sunday



...there was lego-playing while mum was ironing (imagine whole mountains of clothes)

...and 'pic-nicking' on the living-room floor (the piles of clothes you see is the 'food')

...and of course, there was coffee, home-made biscuits and a good book

...and, needless to say, more coffee, cake and the same good book.

How was your weekend?


While thinking about November, these two ideas sprung to mind:

film: Sweet November (listen to this song by Enya-gorgeous!)

and

song: November Rain

Can you suggest anything else relating to this month?

Enjoy what's left of autumn and be prepared to welcome winter (scarves and gloves all ready here)

Take Care

xxx

Trick or Treat!

I've wanted to say this ever since I discovered Halloween ages ago. But unfortunately we don't celebrate it here. I really don't know why; it's so much fun!

Anyway, I was telling Sarah about it, complaining rather, and she suggested I should celebrate it here.

So here I am, with my salt-dough pumpkins and ghosts, my right-hand shadow and a little help from Picasa, posting my very own Halloween picture!

(if I could only figure out how to make the date disappear from my camera!)

Happy Halloween!

(PS. For the salt-dough: 1 part salt, 1 part water, 3-4 parts flour; it needs to be baked when you finish shaping it, till it's dry. Warning: don't taste it-unless your blood pressure has hit the floor!)

Autumn Leaves

Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
Emily Bronte

The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on.
Emily Dickinson
Nature XXVII, Autumn.

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
George Cooper
October's Party.

These are the leaves little one and I collected on our short walk last Saturday. My dad was telling us what tree they were from as we were admiring the colours and 'hunting' for more.

Today we've turned them into this autumn tree.

I think it's kind of neat. Don't you think?


This year more than ever I appreciate autumn and cherish everything it has to give. You've helped me see what a special season it is and in my turn, I help my son take it all in.

Enjoy this wonderful season while it lasts.