at last, the bright side. Bread and Books.

this crisis thing, or recession, or depression-call it what you like. Sometimes its a foggy road on the mountain

 sometimes its scary like what if there is a hole in the fence

 but sometimes it can be light, clear and beautiful

Like today, in Nea Makri
I went to meet up and have coffee with a friend. we actually had never done this before, we only meet at rallies and committees
so today we met to talk. At a cafe, with this view. After days and days of freezing weather, the sun was hot, so we sat outside
amongst other topics we talked about my books.
I am a booklover and a bookeater, and, until recently a book collector. Until this summer, I finally realised that books are made to be read, and not for sitting on shelves collecting dust. so since July I've been taking them down, keeping only my stories and storytelling reference books, much read and loved.
and then piles of books- what to do with them..
I tried freecycle, gave away good university bibliography to open university students. Others needed to know which books I'm giving away, but they are so many I would need years to just write the titles and organise them..
tried looking at the bookcrossers sites, but again, something about them just didn't click
(maybe that self- congratulation..or the tracking down of books- and, no way would I "label" these books) that helped me think- I want them free, to be read, cherished, shared ..or thrown away..
to make a long story short
I am taking them to the cafe next week to start an open, liberated libray
and I am talking with other places in Athens
and we are starting a storytelling club as well. And it was soooo easy.
But that is not the magic part.
on my way back, I stopped at the bakers, in Marathon. There was a pile of books on the table. I asked, and they said..oh, my brother in law leaves them here, people take them and read them and bring them back..
that is the magic part
we are all beginning to think about ..well, everything
this would be unthinkable a couple of years ago..books in the bakers!

the world is made new today

the day after they all left I got up long before dawn, drove over the hills, past the lake, took a train to the south, boarded a ship and travelled over the sea to a land of summer

  I went toSyros to tell stories for a night.I am always amazed and wondering at how, in this country, you can go to so many different places so quickly.

I was transported to a place of almost indescribable beauty.

I saw pidgeons doing their courting dance, people swimming in the sea.

had a drink with friends, slept, coffee at the port, and then I was transported back home following the sea path, the one that gets left behind. The path you make.

here it is windy, rainy and very cold..winter, at last.

today, the 6th, the custom is that the priests bless the waters- all over Greece, in all bodies of water, the blessing is chanted and a cross is thrown in the water- men jump in to retrieve it, and he who comes up with it is the lucky man for the year- he takes the cross to all the houses bringing his good luck with him.
it is usually very cold, the people watching wearing coats and scarves.
it is called the festival of lights in greek- Ton Foton- that says something about sea and sun- but the wind is wailing too loud for me to formulate thoughts into words..
have to check the dripping leaking windows
so today when everything is blessed, cleansed and new
again
happy new everyday

lifidades

this boy did go to sing carols with his violin

marathon 1930- Argos's forefather, picture taken at the souvlaki place

colours

a lot of cooking, baking, eating

new years day at the beach.. boys and dogs

i think we burned our whole supply of wood..

tomorrow my eldest son and his dad leave again. it was soo good to be all together these days.

I was having coffee with a friend, telling her that there are three things I want to do -keep in mind- practise this year: live every day, every moment, breathe through the soles of my feet, and love, wholly, totally, everything.

and while i was speaking the alley where we were sitting was filled with music- dauli and zurna- very loud.

and I remembered how this magical, mystical music has been part of the most important moments in my life, pushing me into the realisation of truth through its power

(the video is from youtube -for the flavour)

wishing all the best for all

may it be a good one!

magic

there is magic in the air tonight
the moon is bathing the land in night
owl eyed Athena is looking down on me
faces stare at me
a warrior
a priestess
i am reading the iliad it is time

dogs,flokati,boy sleeping

making do

this is my favourite olive tree

 she is young and this year she produced her first "serious" crop

 they don't stop giving, ever, and they live for many many years

 new branches thrust towards the sun

 pretty, isn't she?

needed a longer leash for Argos

so I made one

Since Amsterdam(long and heavy)

o dromos

The road had its own history

someone wrote it on the wall, with a color
it was only one word, 'freedom'
and then they said that it was written by kids

And then time passed and history went on
it passed easily from memory to heart
the wall (now) said 'unique chance!
inside are sold materials of any kind!'

On Sundays from early in the cafes
and then, football, bets and fights
the road had its own history
but they said that it was written by kids

since Amsterdam we read the whole of the Odyssey in the street. 2 days, more than seven hours each day. It was an epic endeavour, filling our souls with the magic of the greatest storyteller ever. and we want to do it again. and we will.

 Pup Argos is growing, he is older that I thought, he is nearly 5 months old. He was malnourished and parasite ridden- the contest for food at the sheep pen must have been fierce, and the other dogs look like small lions...I am gently training him, with rewards only

 I've been experimenting with old tshirts, I have tons of them
encouraged by alabama chanin who uses cotton jersey

it works..I'm looking forward to making some clothes..

 Birthdays came and went, I wasn't in warsaw this time. hard.

Telemaco asked me to take him to Athens so he could place a flower on the memorial for the students who were killed in an uprising against the Dictatorship on the 17th of November 1973.

 Every year since 1974 there have been memorial/protest marches on that day, sometimes with very violent riots.  The central slogan then, and now is bread-education-liberty.
I did take my 12 year old, because he asked to do it
we went in the morning, before the demonstrations. There were tears in my eyes the whole time we were there.
for the youths who gave their lives believing they are changing the world
for the memories of my youth. I never missed a march until I had children.

for my sons who are youths in these troubled times

and because now, so many years after the sacrifice we are still looking for ways

what was amazing is that this year there were many many families with children of all ages who went to pay tribute

 time passes, and the pomegranate tree is showing off

 puppies grow, dreaming of fighting with wolves

this guy was lonely, jumping fences, mooing for attention. we were harvesting olives for a neighbour, and the calf made a lot of noise until he figured out a way to come close. he had two brothers, there were three, now there is one. People around here are raising animals for food, again. Not enough time has passed to forget how it is done, the traditional way.

There were many people sleeping in the street in Athens. Workshops start and end earlier now because it is not safe to be out late.

Amsterdam

 I was greeted by our prime minister (the previous one, now) on a giant television outside the airport

 I didn't see much of the city, only from afar, but I did see the old shipyard. got to know it a lot, walking up and down

 some rehearsing, a little music, telling, meeting people

 and a flag..Greece was on my mind a lot, since we are being turned inside out by political powergames

 a greek question mark in one of our singing bowls

 colours on walls. the grey sky seems relentless, just as I suppose our sun is to people coming from grey skied countries

 language learning outside the mens rest room. looks like broken english..I know its the other way round. And, Martine, do women need telling?

 bench floor patterns during nightime

swans in couples
saw a raven
and fat self satisfied seagulls
ducks, and black ones that I learnt were called coots


I didn't spend much time in Amsterdam, but I saw people, met some I'm glad to have met, hung out with members of the pack, told and listened to stories
a good trip
maybe another time I will see the city, and, who knows, a blogging friend or two....