So, the idea with this is that if I can get used to adding to my blog next week whilst I am offline, it will enable me to write up the day's events at my leisure and then simply upload it to my blog when I can get online. Sounds like a plan! I have always felt under pressure due to internet time constraints especially when it comes to uploading photos, so let's see what happens when I do this:
and just in case that was a fluke:
Yes, I'm getting it, I think! Perhaps a link to the India blog?
http://asha2013.blogspot.co.uk/
Well a bit of tweaking was necessary, but it's worth persevering, I reckon.
As it is now December 1st, I will turn my thoughts towards Christmas. Today we will venture into the loft and retrieve this candle display which is always the first decoration to go up. Then little by little other festive bits and pieces will make an appearance. I have to do this in stages otherwise I get bogged down with it all, which rather defeats the purpose!
Look what just dropped through my letter box this morning, right on cue because I am supposed to read Chapter 1 today!
From this company:
http://www.alibris.co.uk/booksearch?qwork=1087756
for the price of £0.64! Our next book club read! We are to read a chapter a day throughout Advent. Each chapter is headed with the date.....sounds intriguing! (Am awaiting another book from the same company written by dh's great grandmother...but that's for another time!)
And this was my impulse buy today!
I love snow globes,but most of them are quite tacky, this one however, ticks all the tasteful boxes!
....and finally, a reminder right at the start of Advent:
1 Corinthians 13 (the Christmas version)
If I decorate my house perfectly with tinsel, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love, I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas delicacies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I’m just another cook.
If I work at a soup kitchen, sing carols in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the Christmas tree with shimmering angels and glittery snowflakes, attend a myriad of Christmas parties and sing in the choir but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids toget out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the
way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.
(Anon)
Last night's sunset; every evening is different and I thought overlooking Glastonbury Tor was inspiring each night!
Today we travelled to the island of Evia, It took us 20 minutes to drive tothe coast. This is the view from the mainland looking over to Evia, a 30 minute ferry ride away.
In it comes!
Arriving in Evia
A welcome coffee overlooking the sound between the mainland and the island.
Followed by lunch, this was just the starters, a delicious Carbonara followed....
Tonight I will knit,read and relax. Tomorrow dh may go swimming...I will beachcomb!
Last night rounded off nicely which an English Greek combo! Roast Chicken with a Greek influence!
Then this morning off to St Andrew's International Church....some songs were familiar...even if the spelling wasn't! Still, I'm sure the Savior/Saviour didn't have an issue with it! Uplifting to look around the room and see so many different nationalities represented.
Then it was off to Starbucks with a Greek/English/American contingent to drink coffee and have conversations about, amongst other things...Politics....but mainly the politics of the represented nations. The Americans are voting next week and the Greeks are striking for 48 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday....and we are supposed to be flying home during that time....We had planned to visit the Acropolis museum on Tuesday, but that will now have to wait for another time....as will the Greek wool shop I have discovered on someone else's blog.....It happens to be very near the museum, and also where some of the demonstrations take place...but since there will be no buses or trains running we won't be visiting on this occasion.
Can't believe the Christmas shops are appearing....there is no escape!
A spontaneous decision was made to have lunch in a local restaurant with resident feral cat waiting for food to drop....Could do with her at home.....but must not think of the mouse issue....
Moussaka! Dh chose a minced meat with rice wrapped in cabbage parcel served with lemon sauce. We shared a carafe of wine.....
A side dish of chick peas with tomato....
Then home to coffee on the terrace where Lucy the cat made an appearance briefly and we ate cakes from the "Cakes and Cookie Sale" at the church this morning in aid of a Ugandan orphanage.....which was probably a little decadent (the cakes not the orphanage)
...and I continued my french knitting "probably a christmas decoration" project, having completed the first dishcloth yesterday. I will make the next one a little smaller as I am using larger needles this time.
Caught up on Yeovil news via Facebook....can't believe it has snowed there today!!!!
To market, to market to buy a.....cooped up chicken? I don't think so.....we'll be looking elsewhere for ours in the Spring. Hopefully some interesting breeds...,
I love Greek Markets for the fruit and vegetables plus all the herbs, shame you can't capture the aromas!
We spent some time (no pun intended!) at the herbs stall and came away with oregano, thyme and a herb mix for meat which smells heavenly and I spent the next hour lifting the carrier bag up to my face to inhale the aromas.....don't care what I looked like! We also bought a string of garlic, quite handy as we're coming to the end of of French garlic purchased in Carentan in September!
The purchases:
View from the coffee shop,
iced coffee outside at 26 degrees, just hits the spot!
Looking to my right, sipping coffee and people -watching...a favourite pastime.
And here are the dogs... from back to front: Elsa, Connie and Tilly.
and Bella,
totally submissive!
But are there enough olives to pick this year to take up to the olive press?
Had some visitors and they brought this delicious cake a liitle like egg custard with a lemony flavour and lots of syrup.... It's called Galaktompouriko!
and so the day ends, the same view at sunset.
Tomorrow we leave at 08:30 for the 09:00 service at the International Church in Athens
