Don't Die With Your Music Still In You

Hello, Friends,

Read and contemplate: Is that you?

Don't die with your music still in you is the most profound phrase I heard over and over as a child. I knew that we all incarnated in this lifetime with a purpose, with something unique that called to us and excited our soul, and the idea of dying without ever expressing the music I came here to play terrified me. It still does! I've asked myself many times what my purpose is-- why am I here?
As a child, my parents instructed me not to follow the crowd. "Try not to get caught up in what other people tell you to do," they would say. "Just follow your heart, Serena."
Later, when I was a teen, they'd tell me, "When you follow the herd, you're bound to step in shit. Avoid the herd. Think for yourself. Do what you feel is right for you."
I heard this kind of thing all the time, but it wasn't exactly easy to take such advice. Doing what I wanted and doing what was right were often not the same thing. The times in my life when I didn't make the best choices were often times of great struggle that led to enormous personal growth. I try not to judge my past; after all, I wouldn't be who I am without it!
Not dying with your music still in you is not about what you "do with" your life. It is about how you lead your life. Raising children to dance to the beat of their own drum means raising them first to hear, and then to follow, their own inner calling. It means encouraging them to follow their hearts--to listen to their intuition, and nothing else. It also means encouraging them to move forward in their lives, rather than keeping them stuck on a decision they made in the past.
Being yourself allows you to enjoy every step of your journey, without ever having to change for someone else. As I get older, I understand that life really is about the journey. While that once irked me, I now love it!
Slowly, I awakened to my true purpose. I discovered that I'm most in alignment with who I am when I'm communicating; when I am sharing knowledge that inspires me. There are myriad "jobs" that could carry out this life's purpose, but what I came to realize is that my purpose is not what I do. It's how I do it. It doesn't matter the medium I choose; it only matters that I express myself. I am expressing my purpose through this book. I don't know if I will make a career out of being a writer, and it doesn't matter. Because what I've discovered is that, when you are living on purpose, the outcome doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that your mind stays open. To everything.
Having a mind that is attached to nothing means learning to work with situations that aren't turning out as we'd want or expect. It's seeing that everything is in perfect order anyway. It's hard to see something challenging as being in perfect order, but those of us who have gone through tough times know that we'll eventually come to realize that the sun has been shining behind the clouds all along.

 source

Blogging in the early hours

If I could locate my i-phone I could Instagram and post for you what my dining table looks like right now. You'll have to imagine it, right?

 

 

 

There's an empty carton of chocolate ice-cream that I have been working through this past week.
There is a glass of Perrier which was filled twice with Coca-Cola -straight, not light or zero-. And a pile of the Sunday papers that I'll be nibbling on.
It's early Sunday and I know I should be sleeping. But after the excitement of an entire day trying to pull back our home into shape, I really need a "me" time and this is the only day and hour I can get it.

Tomorrow our youngest hosts a graduation party. Bye-Bye Primary School!
I look forward to it. Remember his birthday party in December? I hope this one is equally fun!

Enjoy the Weekend,

 

 
 

College exams update

Last day of College entry exams, today.

She loves her Latin, so I hope she'll do well.

We have  English and French coming up, but I am quite certain she'll manage beause she likes languages alot.

She loves culture and reading about the world, and visiting, of course, although we haven't travelled abroad in the last couple of years.

Anyhow, my eldest is looking forward to the end of school -and schooling altogether!-, and she is, I think, into any of these:

I can see her taking pictures and flicking through Tumblr and napping under the shade, and eating slowly her food, savoring every moment.

That's my baby!

xoxo

"Final" school days

I don't know about you, but these are busy, busy days , my friends.  Carving some time for myself is so hard. Yet I need space to breathe more than ever.

My eldest is sitting her finals and I have been threefold busy. I have been spending with her days and nights on end reading and revising.

 

 

 

We spent the weekend together, just the two of us, reading and napping and laughing with silly memories.

Oh and having a lovely girls al fresco lunch in the garden.

 

 

Friends, I'd never swap these moments with my girl.

(Did I tell you she is halfway between 18 and 19? Oh my!)

 

 

 She had her mind set on studying English , a subject she likes and I know it is dear to her. When we came to Athens she was brainwashed by uber ambitious relatives who projected on her that she wanted to study Law.

 

 

 I always knew she hated it, because I know it is against her talents and character. However since she is such a gentle child and always a good student, we didn't want her to feel she didn't get the chance she deserved. So we went ahead with extra teaching and the promise that she'd get straight marks.

How I feel for her!

 

 

We are on lesson five out of six and I think she finally gets it. She is got to make her choice according to what she wants. She finally realised she has to close her ears to what other people want for her and concentrate on what she likes.

 

 

So,

 

 

while my eldest reads for her college entry exams, and my daughter #2 reads for her end of the year exams and life spins and I need to breathe, I so pray that these times will help my girls grow into the women who they want to be, responsible and hopeful and successful in what they set their mind to do. Oh, and happy with their lives.

somewhat on the softer side

These days I am in a funny little mood. 

Softening is what I can call it at best. 

Nesting, perhaps.

Does it have to do with the stars? With my being a 40something, now?

Does it have to do with having two young ladies in the row, ready to fly from the nest, so to speak?

We are on the lookout for a new house. 

I am not quite sure I want to leave. I'd rather fix than abandon, these days. 

Quite unike myself. Am I getting more mature or more lazy?

I am also more of an urbanite, now. 

I think my ideas of farming have somewhat been on a recess. 

I think I can manage containers. 

Little bites of good stuff. 

That's what life is all about for me right now.

xoxo

{All picture credits on my Pinterest boards}

Saturday

Watched:
 Awkward (with my youngest she, who is a fan. I love her and I liked it!)
That's what I see when you tell me to get off the computer mom, she said. So I had to sit and watch.

You've got mail
And I cried. Again.



 +I looove Nora Ephron!
- Couldn't help thinking of our old shop.The scenario is so similar.

I haven't told you much about the twists and turns. But, well, I have set to tune myself with what the Universe wants to tell me. So I am trusting God that what we do is for the best.

Wondered

I don't know what to make of Princess Madeleine of Sweden fiance, Mr Christopher O'Neill. Does he not ever smile? Not even on his engagement to a gorgeous Nordic Princess? Does a job in finances turn you into such a stiff and tight lipped person from such an early age?

 

 Apparently it does.

Souvlaki for the Soul

Eat:

Had some home made halva (btw, what a beautiful, unpretentious and on the spot blog this is!).

Shopped:

Our Athenian Christmas tree. An artificial one and a potted conifer. And fairy lights.

Did you do what you wanted to do today?

 

Me, this week

Photo: Tatler, 2010

Our patterns are so adorably persistent. I love my desire for beauty and order. I will continue to see my desire for perfection with humor and love.

(From Jennifer Louden) 

Reaching for the impossible

How do you feel this week?

What would you do with your Life?

" Vitality shows in not only the ability

to persist but the ability to start over".

-F.SCOTT FITZGERALD

If you could 

overcome the fear of the unknown

what would you do with your precious

 Life?

Here is what I would do


a) Open an ice-cream parlour in a North European country.

b) Make a caravan tour of Europe with my husband and kids.

c) Work on a cruiser.

d) Open a restaurant on a tropical island.

e) Open a deli with gourmet Greek finger food in New York.

f) Work for my two Lifestyle icons:

 Lilly Pulitzer, designing the most delicious outfits and developping new markets.

Oprah, and live the excitement of TV, journalism and publishing on a top level.

What would YOU do?

 

Le weekend

Sunday morning

The monastery. i think what i love most about manasteries is the inner courtyard. the gardens. the collective work. collective singing. collective praying. and the free offering. perhaps i should open a monastery. perhaps i was always meant to be a nun, but took a deviation.

Saturday evening

I mended stuff. (D) liked the lttle button I used to hide a hole on her Florence pink t-shirt.
(F) photographed some of my stuff to be put on sale this week.

Sunday afternoon

Federer (left nr.2)-Nadal (right nr.1)

watched Roland Garros
me: only the awards ceremony and high lights:
Gosh, it was only yestrerday I used to watch the whole thing after the Sunday family lunch,
only the day before i had strawberries and creme at Wimbledon.
where does time go?

watched Oliver's Twist love him for getting my girls interested on cooking.

watched Cinderella Man 

cooked a nice little dish. leftover Greek salad dressing i.e. onions and olive oil with oregano + half a chicken + lightly golden on both sides + one glass dry white wine + 1/2 pack tomato puree +let simmer some more + potatoes chopped in squares = DH says it's the best I've evrer made. Am i supposed to be happy with this? Oh well, happy-happy-happy:)

Be good. Have fun. Happy new week.

Around the house this week

Things happen around the house these days.

We are living to the sound of the end of the year school exams for F and D.

We have been gardening, planting our brand new raised beds with tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and even two watermelon plants per J's request.

We also watched some exciting soccer

and baked delicious cookies.

 They turned into biscuits as I hadn't baked them before and let them stay in (ahem!) a little longer, but nontheless, they were greatly appreciated.

(Recipe from the delightful Cherry Menlove).

We are having an end of season sale at the shop.
I hope to show you some of our for sale stuff in a future post.

What else?

Oh...yes, Happy Turtle received its first blog award in recent memory at least.

Thank you very much Jessica! 

I met Jessica through blog hop (does it sound like blind date to you? It does to me, lol!). 

She blogs at Cajunlicious which I think speaks for itself, but hey, this is marriage made in heaven as I have been attracted to all things South.
To be honnest with you, there are many people who know me for ages and they say I am a Southern Lady. Someone even run a past life test on me and said I'd definitively lived in the South during the Civil War.
Okey dokey, then. You know, with things going as they do in Greece...Well, let me not say any more for now...

 I must pass this award to 15 newly discovered bloggers.
Hmm. I don't know if I can do 15, but let me tell you.

The most recent one

Pink Princess in Paris

for the stroll to Montmarte.

Paraphernalia

who is spartan, inspiring and trully versatile.

Despinarion 

because she brings to me the best of both worlds from across the Atlantic.

Stephanie 

because she is so cool and talented yet doesn't make a fuss about it.

Meredith

the one mum blog that i recently discovered and that I trully enjoy right now.

And my NEW blog hop stops that tickle my blogging right now

Friday blog hop
Fashion Fridays
Say Hi Sunday
Weekend Windown
Post of the month club

Have a lovely middle end of the week everyone.
(Yes, that is how long it takes me to put together a post as simple as this!)
I love every single comment you write for me, you really make my day:)

Greece's economic crisis, and us

Bloomprint

{This is potentially a long and personal post, so please grab a cup and read on}

We really had not expected the turn of events in the last couple of years in our dear home country.

We are now in one of those situations where we want to say: "My moma told me so-and she was right".

My mom could not possibly understand -and is still quite mad at me, why I left England and came to Greece, in the first place. 

She'd love an academic career for me and could see the potential of life in the sweet English countryside. 

But I was 24, stuffed with knowledge from the age of pre-schooler, charged with degrees and all that make parents happy for you, but have no meaning unless you actually know yourself and where you are heading. 

So I left England, to everyone's disappointment. With C, who left his job in an american company, we set up home in what is one of Greece's most austere and isolated parts. 

But as I said, I was 24 and in love, and in my heart I wanted the family I never had as a child, peaceful, loving and bonded. And I am grateful to God.

For the past 14 years, since setting up shop in the North, we've had our ups and downs: a partner who let us down, water claiming our stock thrice, renovating the shop another three times, putting up our flag single handedly, kids at the back of the car, and charging on, from hamlet to village, from mountain to sea. 

At some point we thought we had it figured out as grown ups.We never were, felt or behaved rich, but we put our priorities on the table and chose.

Rome, Easter 2010

We took a loan for our very first owned house. It took years to built and we ended up finishing it ourselves as the contractor went bankrupt. It felt so good to have a place to call home right here, no moving, packing and unpacking.

I did not do Burberry's, hairdressers, manicures and what most school moms and customers did,
so that we could afford a yearly family trip. 

We dressed high street sales but picked a public school for the kids. 

We didn't go out on Saturday night but we could afford once a week a coffee and newspaper reading session in a city cafe.

In the past few months our habits have turned upside down. 

We have told the kids this term will be the last in their school. 

They protested and cried, and I cried, too. A lot.
Because I hate to see them leave their friends.
Because I hate the que-dira-t-on?
Because F is just two years away from sitting her College exams. Because she really wants to study Cinema and Art, and this artistically handicapped mom is so proud of her eldest, and her guitar playing little one, and her footballer youngest.

So we troop on.

We have stopped buying papers or having coffee, and I didn't renew my expiring subscriptions. 

We have even been talking of closing down the shop. In times of financial crisis, with the IMF in toe, hotel owners make do with fluffing up the pillows, new homes are a rarity and who wants to have their home professionally decorated or buy solid oak furniture and silk/wool throws?

C even whispered we might need to sell the house and start over.

In times like these, I get myself in alarm mode, keep my chin up and stiffen my upper lip. Thank you very much, England!
I am pleasant to my customers and reveal nothing to our relatives. 

But I cannot help thinking. 

 Careful what you wish for.

C and I have often talked about moving to his mountainous village once the kids are settled with their own families. C said often he is a shepherd at heart. And I have been reading books and blogs and daydreamed about how nice it would be to be living the good life, growing our own stuff, raising chicken and goats.

And suddenly, life nods at us. One day soon we may have to leave our current lifestyle behind for good, and move into unknown territory. 

And it is so scarey!

Because I may grow a tomato or two in the summer and green salad leaves in the winter, but I am a bourgeois at heart and have no idea how to feed my family, make everything from scratch and be a peasant. 

And it scares me.

And yet...
We don't give up.

We have worked so hard to get here, we are not giving up.
Last weekend we organised a happening in the city's main square. Had some 160 kids painting and drinking orange juice, and we gave away catalogues, and did PR.
I cold call old customers.
We are organizing a sale to get some cash in the till so that we may get some new stuff in for Summer.
We work harder and hope for the best.

What I've seen in the past few weeks since we finally faced up to the prospect of completely shifting our lives, is our children change. 

They play board games and do puzzles  to save on electricity. 

F and D offered to organize some dos we are setting up with the mother company in an effort to reduce damage and get the kite fying again at the shop.

F offered to homeschool J in English, so that we may save on his English lessons. 

J offered to quit his public school so that F may stay in hers and get to College. 

They all save all they can to go to summer camp.

D, Summer camp 2010

C is the saddest of us all and we all try to cheer him up and hopefully cheer him along in whatever he decides we will do.

And i find hope and comfort in the thought that God has it all figured out for us, He knows our hearts and our true needs and He will provide what is best for us. 

At times I am so scared, i feel my breath stops, and yet so hopeful for the new chapter in our lives.
Wherever God says we'll go, we'll go.
I have finally surrendered my life to Him and he is my only hope.