Holidays at last....

After a whirlwind of things to be done in December and all the latest very sad tragedies around us schools closed their doors for 15 days so now it's ...holiday time! Hurray!!!!
It is so sad that other people I know will not celebrate this Christmas but as my dear friend Cathy just told me ....

"...Please don't be sad at this festive time. We cannot heal the world, and so we should do our best to make our part of it as beautiful, as peaceful and as filled with love as we can...." ....I decided to follow her advice! Since yesterday afternoon I am off school and all I want to do is have the best of time. That means no obligations, no chores, no bad feelings and bad mood, no more terrible news affecting my family, friends and the world!Can that happen? Maybe if we are all lucky. This week was such a loooong tiring but fulfilling week. Sunday morning we started early with rehearsal and then the actual performance of our play at the State Theatre for the Lampsi.org (the association of parents with children with cancer). The performance went great and we had more than 300 people in the audience which was very good. We also got the congratulations of the technicians of the theatre who considered our Drama club one of the best amateurs they have seen!That was quite an honour. A great meal followed the performance.If you want to see photos of the performance you can visit the Drama Club page on facebook. The chandelier of the main performance of the theatre.  The State Theatre of Thessaloniki.  Red and orange hen! I tried to relax a bit on Monday evening and made some wire rings to give as gifts.Unfortunately there are no photos of them as I forgot to take some! On Tuesday afternoon my friend Frieda came from Skiathos. It was so great to meet her again. We went together to the Ethnological Museum and attended the scarf folding technique workshop and the bazaar.  My friend Yioula's creations. Then we walked to the Vafopouleion Institute where we wanted to visit the Melissa orphanage bazaar and the exhibition of comic strips by Kostas Voutsas whom I have known for years. We loved his exhibition and sketches. We also loved the great buffet that was there and we enjoyed the coffee and food and sweets they served. On Wednesday hubby and I took part in the Lawyers' Union children's party. I was at the card making workshop and hubby was taking pictures.Then we watched Annie acted out by the Lawyer's Association Drama club.It was quite good. It is great helping out our friend who had undertaken the organization of this party and have fun too. On Thursday just after school I met with my Practice students for coffee and I gave each one of them a ring that I made myself. The colours remind me a bit of the English flag, so that they can remember our time together and their first experience as teachers. In the afternoon Frieda came home for coffee and then we went together to my jewelry course. I admit Frieda's jewelry piece was better than mine but we both enjoyed the fun of making something together again. Friday morning was the last day of school and we had our Christmas songs presentation again. My pupils did very well and we enjoyed this so much. The music teacher was very good with the tube orchestra.  But my little ones were also very good with Father Christmas and The lights on the tree.  The kindergarten pupils waiting to perform the Nativity. Then Frieda and I went to the Open Day Christmas party of the nearby 1st High School of Thessaloniki. That was fun because I met so many old students of mine and their parents helping out.My 15-year-old neighbour upstairs was the DJ of the big party they had!Thank God he didn't practice his musical talent over my flat! We said our goodbyes after that with Frieda and we hope we will meet again soon. In the evening we had a rehearsal with the Drama Club again and afterwards we had a party for dear hubby's nameday! Pheeeeeeew!What a week!Sorry this is so long but I really want to tell you all the things that have happened in December before the month and the year is out!