...Χιόνια...Πολλά!!! -...Happy...Snowing!!!

"Χιόνια στο καμπαναριό, που Χριστούγεννα σημαίνουν!
Χιόνια στο καμπαναριό, ξύπνησε όλο το χωριό..."

A well known Greek Christmas song says:
"Snow on the steeple, it's ringing Christmas!
Snow on the steeple, all the village is awake...!"

Τσάι στης Μαρίνας! - Tea party at Marina's house!

Τα Χριστούγεννα πλησιάζουν και το σπίτι μου, όπως έχετε ήδη δει, έβαλε τα καλά του! Το χιόνι έστησε πάλι τρελό χορό και κάνει πραγματικά πολύ κρύο. Ήταν λοιπόν η κατάλληλη στιγμή για μια συγκέντρωση στο σπίτι μου με τις νέες μου φίλες.
Christmas are coming and my house, as you've already seen, wore its best clothes! Snow is dancing again and the cold is huge. It was the right time for a tea party at my home with my new friends.

Ξεκίνησα το μαγείρεμα δύο μέρες πριν και στόλισα το τραπέζι την προηγούμενη μέρα ώστε να τα προλάβω όλα. Παντού φυσικά επικράτησε το Χριστουγεννιάτικο πνεύμα, όπως μπορείτε να δείτε και από τις φωτογραφίες...
I started cooking two days ago and set the table the day before. Christmas spirit was everywhere, as you can see at the photos...

Κάτω από κάθε χαρτοπετσέτα έκρυψα μικρά δωράκια και τις τύλιξα έτσι ώστε να μην φαίνονται από την αρχή. Ήταν τελικά μία ωραία έκπληξη για τις καλεσμένες μου!
Small presents were hidden under every napkin and I rapped them in a way you couldn't see what was in it. It was a pretty surprise for my guests!
Έστησα ένα τραπέζι με γλυκές γεύσεις και ένα τραπέζι με αλμυρά. Το τραπέζι με τα γλυκά είχε σοκολατάκια (με γέμιση καρύδι, δαμάσκηνο ή περγαμόντο), πάστα φλώρα, ισλί, εκμέκ και μια τούρτα μόκα.
I set a table with sweets and one with food.The table with the sweets had stufed chocolates, pasta flora, isli, ekmek and moka cake.
Τα φαγητά που είχα φτιάξει ήταν πίτσα, μπόμπα, ρολάκια ζαμπόν, γεμιστά σου, βολοβάν με σουρίμι και μπισκοτένιες αχιβάδες με χταποδάκι και τέλος δαμάσκηνα με γραβιέρα και μπέικον.
The food I cooked was pizza, bomb, roles with ham, volovan with surimi, octapus on buscuit clam and last but not least prunes with bacon.Περάσαμε ένα ευχάριστο πρωϊνό, ανταλλάσοντας απόψεις για διάφορα θέματα, γελώντας και...τρώγοντας!!! Όπως είχε προβλέψει ο συζυγάτος μου ("πολλά φτιάχνεις και θα τρώμε πάλι τρεις μέρες") έμειναν αρκετά , πράγμα καλό γιατί μαγειρεύω λιγότερο αλλά και κακό γιατί έχω τσακίσει τα γλυκά και προβλέπω τα Χριστούγεννα να μην μου μπαίνει ρούχο...
We had a wonderful time discussing, laughing and...eating!!! As my hubby had predicted ("you are cooking too many things and we're going to eat them for three days") a lot of food and sweets have leftovered, which is good cause I don't have to cook many things and bad at the same time cause I have eaten so many sweets that my clothes won't fit me...

A Christmas wreath like a star!

My Christmas village decorated a corner of my house but the wall above was empty! So I made a wreath like a star... I needed three golden branches, ribbon and three christmas balls.
The balls were made by me using decoupage with napkins.
It was the first time I made decoupage! "Youtube" helped me to learn how to do it...
I think I managed to do it well...
With this making I'm going to participate to a contest about Christmas handmade things at Aneraida !
You can participate too! Just follow the right instructons at Aneraida's blog!

Christmas month!

It's 1st of December today!!!

In exactly 25 days we'll have Christmas!
As you have already seen, I've decorated my blog and I've almost finished the decoration of my house!
Here are some pictures...
The weather is getting colder day by day and the snow has covered everything.
I didn't leave my home yesterday, not even for the bakery near my house! I prefered my hot home! So after a lot of blogging I cooked some "choux".
I succeeded to make them like the recipe and they became delicious!
I'm going to make a profiterol with them later today!
They'll be a perfect dessert for my Norway+Greek lunch dish!!!Thanks to Anette and Xanthi I made a great combination: mashed broccoli and cauliflower,from Norway and salmon with vegetables in the oven, from Greece!
And small cheese pies from...me!!!
We all loved it!!!
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I decided to comment...on your comments, so I started that from my previous post and I'll continue to do so! If you want come back to see my answers to your ideas, questions etc...

Dedicated to my Greek friends.....

This post is dedicated to my Greek friends who have 25 degrees and still visiting the sea for swimming...

This is what the weather was like on Friday night...


(yes, it's snowing...)

...and this is the picture on Saturday morning!!! At this moment we have -2 degrees and the cold is...huge!!!

Have a nice week!!!
Mine will be......a snowy one!!!

To blog or not to blog!

Three days ago, I recieved an invitation from my friend Vita .
It's about the five things I like and dislike about blogging. It was an opportunity for me to share my feelings and thoughts with my readers and friends.


When I first started blogging, my friends and family told me that internet hides many bad people and their secrets, that my life would be an open book to everybody. I was a bit afraid about that but I continued to make a blog.
That's how " Marina's life and family " was born...

LOVE about blogging:
1) During these years I've met so beautiful people that I couldn't imagine, people from foreign countries and from my own country too! It's amazing that some times we're in the internet area at the same time!
2) I've recieved love, presents and strength when I had difficulties from people I hardly knew and now name them as "my friends".
3) I enjoy their company when I'm reading their posts and learn what they do, cook or creat.
4) They give me many ideas about making things.
5) I'm really happy when I check my comments and see that I've many of them. I love having people at my "home".

HATE about blogging:
1) Time is never enough for a woman, especially if she's a blogger too! And I need a lot of time to visit others, to write comments, to make a post...
2) My English aren't perfect so I need help to make a post which means more time.
3) I'm very angry when after finishing my housework, helping children with their homework e.t.c. find our TWO pcs occupied.
4) I find rude the way some people comment blogs using inappropriate words and unfair critisicm.
5) My blog misses "the salt and the pepper" and that's something I have to fix to make it better.

If you liked this game don't hesitate to play it! You're all invited!
I give personal invitations to Aya, Stalie, Anette, Rena and Denise!

My hot cup of coffee is ready, outside is snowing and I'm so bored to do housecleaning today but...I have to!!!
So good day everybody and take care!

A present from Rena!

Rena from Greece had her birthday.
Not her real one but her blog's birthday!
That's why she treated us a sweet present. It took her many hours to make it and for this reason it's valuable to us!

Handmade by...me!

I love making things with my hands, to change them in something special or create something beautiful with cheap materials.

Thanks to my new sewing machine... I made a curtain for my kitchen windows.
I had made the lace a long time ago.It seems that it was the time to use it.
I bought some white fabric and...
...voi la...

One metre of the fabric was surplus, so I made another curtain in order to cover the shoe selves.

I changed a simple jacket
to... this pretty one!
I can wear it in official events now.

A few days ago I bought a nice ring which was looking for...a company!
So I made a neckless with black flowers and a gold chain!
I have worked really hard, don't you think?
So it's time to enjoy a piece of the tart I cooked a few minutes ago, with everything I had in the fridge!

Ups!!! My family almost ate it!!!

An award for hard working moms!

Today Rena gave me an award!


It's for the woman who is a mother, a housewife, a worker... and is fighting day by day to keep her family united and well!
Thank you my friend!

Now I'm going to give it to:

Stallie
Tamara
Antigoni
Vita
Xanthi-Lina
and
Anette

You all deserve it girls!!!

And the winner is...

Hello everybody!

Today is the DAY!
And I don't mean the Greek elections but the lottery which will decide the winner of the quiz "Where am I?"...
Every friend that answered to the question participated in my lottery.
I decided that I would choose three friends to win!
I did the shopping for your small presents and my family selected the winners!

The ANSWER is...

and the most of you have found it!!!

And now....

CONGRATULATIONS TO....

Maria from Austria.
You've won a scarf full of Paris!

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

Antigoni from Greece!
You've won a pink scarf!

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

Vita from Greece.
You've won coasters for your cups!


Finally I want to thank my hubby for making the wonderful video of our vacations in Paris and ofcourse all of you for your participation!

Quiz: Where am I ???

Are you in the mood for a game?
I'll be away for a few days.
My girls don't have school so we're going for short vacations to a beautiful city!



It has an iron giant, a gorgious place for playing and pieces of Greece, Egypt and other countries all in the same building!!!
Did I help you? Can you guess my destination?
Play with me and leave a comment with your answer!
A special present is waiting for you!!!
And you have the whole week to participate!!!
Good luck!!!

Reading and hoping...

In the two last months I had the opportunity to read two wonderful books.

The first one is called " The bride was wearing black clothes " and its author is Sofi Theodoridou.

The story is about a young girl who has lost her family during the Minor Asia catastrophe and arrived in Greece as a refugee. We can watch her life through the years, which was difficult and hard as a woman and mother.
She had challenged her fate when she wore a black wedding dress...

The second one is " The island ".

The author is Victoria Hislop.
She's an English woman who travelled to Greece and wrote a book which is selling like crazy all over the world! It's a best seller and it has won awards in England. Its story is about Spinalonga, an island next to Crete, for people who were suffering from leprosy . You can see through it the sadness and disaster of the sick families, the life at the island and finally how the cure infuenced people's life.
At this moment greek tv channel " Mega" has made it the most succesful television series and we're happy to watch such a wonderful work. Imagine that the author rejected Hollywood for a greek channel!!!

Reading them you can feel the sence of hope and love. You can see that even if you're desperate or depressed at the moment something good is coming soon.

*You can read more about the books and their authors if you click on their names. Under them you can find their official sites.

Άγιος Δημήτριος = Saint Dimitrios

Today my precious hubby celebrates his name day!
We won't have a party like the previous years because of our loss but I made a cake for him.
Let me treat you a piece...



I bought him - as a present- warm gloves and a scarf ,
the most useful present for this country;)

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I wish you happiness and health sweety!
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In memory of Tereza.

I'm getting through a very difficult and sad period! No, no it's not my new home...Living in Belgium was a wonderful surprise for me! I like everything here...It's a horrible fact that I couldn't even speak or write for that...But I decided that today I must take it out of me! After all it happened a month ago...

I was ready to celebrate my birthday and wedding aniversarry. I had invited some friends and had written down the menu for the food and chocolate cake that I was going to cook. Suddenly a phonecall from Greece changed everything and most of all put us in deep sadness.The voice was from my mom. "Your mother-in-law has passed away" she said to us. It was one of the most difficult nights of my life with my husband! He was so, so shocked and I was too. SHE was his mom and SHE was my second mom ! We spent the hole night trying to find a way to go to Greece as soon as possible and finally next noon we flied towards our home.
I don't want to describe you the following days in Greece. You can understand what these days meant to us and how they affected us.
My mother in low, Tereza , was 83 years old and lived happily with her husband for 60 years. SHE had three sons, three daughters in low and five grand children. SHE was the most kind and generous woman I know. "Giving" was her moto of life. And she was giving us everything: love, help, presents. SHE taught me how to crochet and embroider. SHE was helping everybody who needed help, even people she hardly knew.

I enjoyed the moments when we were drinking coffee together, when we were crochet, when we were going to the country to pick up wild herbs.

I'll love and remember her for ever.
Her pure sole will be my guide.
Her love for me will warm my heart.

ABC Wednesday : I for... I love

A few days ago Zacharoula (it's Sugar in English) from the greek blog "Nostimotato" (= Delicious) invited her followers to participate in a game!

Since I'm in a game mood these adays, I'm going to write ten things I love and then choose some friends to play, too!!!

• 1. I love...travelling to the countyside!
• 2. I love...drinking coffee in front of the fire place or the sea!
• 3. I love...cooking and baking!
• 4. I love...croset!
• 5. I love...detective series!
• 6. I love...sunsets and moon lighting!
• 7. I love...smiling!
• 8. I love...chocolate!
• 9. I love...blue color!
• 10. I love...reading novels!

That was my 'I love list' and as you can see there weren't any persons!
My family and friends have my love and can't be listed!
So now I choose...everybody who feels like a kid and want to play!
Just let me know you did your 'I LOVE LIST'....

A valuable present from a new friend!

A few days ago a new, Greek blogfriend made a game!
She presented 13 pictures of plants and trees next to a list of 13 names and you had to choose the right one for each one.
As I love to play games, I decided to participate.
And....I WON!!!
I chose the right names and then Xanthi, my friend from the blog "Συνταγές της Ασπρούλας", picked my name at the draw!
What is my present???
Two handmade soupla by Xanthi herself!

I'm looking forward to take them in my hands!

Thank you sooo.... much Xanthi!!!

ABC Wednesday: H for heroes

Hero is someone who fights for his ideal, for his life or just for people's freedom!
We, in Greece, know well how important is to be free. Although we're so peaceful as a nation, we were forced in many wars because of our position and believes. At that time many people, men and women and sometimes children had to get ahead of themselves and fight for the right! These people weren't just Greeks. Several countries helped us win our freedom.
All these thoughts came up when, a few days ago, being in Mons (a town in Belgium), we were part of a parade of soldiers and tanks, trucks and nurses who were celebrating the freedom of the town at the second world war. For a few minutes I was there, when this parade really happened for the first time. Believe me, it was very touching...