Rare Disease Day

Today is February 29th and that happens every four years so we call the year a leap year.
Did you know though that February 29th is also the Rare Disease Day?
I know.
My dad died 18 years ago from a rare disease, mesothelioma, caused by asbestos he inhaled as a kid working at an asbestos factory.
Just recently I found out about Heather Von St. James, a lady in the States who has suffered the same type of cancer and had a lung surgery and has been a survivor for ten years now. You can read her story here!Isn't that great? You can see her story and her efforts to make rare diseases and her own known to the public.
I have a rare disease too, an immune system one. But it doesn't matter. Most of us have something. As long as we go on our lives and don't suffer or die of it all is well!!!!
Some people who suffer of something rare need our help and it is good to give a hand from time to time. It is good to help financially even with a couple of euros/dollars when especially a young boy suffers from something  and needs  surgery abroad which costs thousands. So here I join Katerina's plea to help Pavlos a young boy who suffers from leuchemia type T and needs to go to the States for surgery.

I have been reading Katerina's blog for a long time and I know she is honest and true in what she says.So I am sharing this for anyone who reads it to help.
The bank account is at the bottom of the article.
Thank you.
Edit: Unfortunately Paul died only a couple of days after this blogpost. He didn't make it to Boston where he was going for a treatment. He didn't make it. But his parents and all the people who loved him in his short life donated all the money that was collected to Lampsi The Association for Children with Cancer.

Moments in time that made me happy

Back in December 2013...
Receiving my niece's engagement favour....

 Spotting a beautiful robin outside the Byzantine Museum who actually stayed put for me to take a photo of....

 Enjoying the colours of this poster at the aforesaid museum.....

 Moving my camera while taking night shots of Thessaloniki lights....

 Finding this vintage Oshkosh suitcase on the curb...

 Visiting the War Museum....(No, I don't really like War Museums, although they are in fact History Museums)

 ...where the Teachers' Association Drama Club (us included) presented the book "Cornelius and the star with the colours", a book written by doctors for the children with cancer.The presentation was organised by Lampsi, the organization of parents with children with cancer.

You can watch the presentation here.

The last two photos are taken from the Lampsi site.

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!

Life is full of happy moments and sad moments....

I know I haven't blogged for some time but as the title says life is like that, filled with all kinds of moments....
and I am starting with the most recent and unfortunately the saddest moment.
On Saturday my son was the witness of the death of a young man at a motorcycle accident at his dad's village. He and his friends were playing football when a motorcycle roared by and in a flash they heard the awful sound of the accident. They immediately ran to the spot and they saw the young man die on the street.
For a teenager to witness the death of a young person is shocking.I know he will never forget it in his life as I have never forgotten the deaths I have witnessed in mine. But that is how life is and maybe he will grow more mature through this.
Sorry I made you sad at the beginning of my blogpost today but I wanted to share this with all of you old and new readers and followers.
To happier things...
December, which came rushing in with sunshine, then torrential rain and then cold and sunshine (today), is leading us fast to Christmas and I am not ready, not ready at all.
I haven't decorated yet or cleaned up or put the carpets.
I haven't written Christmas cards or made parcels.
And I really don't know when I will as there are so many things happening here.
For example last Wednesday 28th hubby and I spent hours outside the courthouse supporting our friend teacher who was on trial unfairly accused for assault against the German delegate. Fortunately he and the co-accused where found innocent which made us really really happy!We were all crying outside the courthouse that day!
Here is a video of the short speech our friend made after the trial.
"...I fight for my children , my grandchild to be and my students..." he said in court and everyone applauded.

Edited on the same day: Unfortunately the three accused are going to be in court again for the same accusations as the Public Prosecutor of the area decided that the result of the trial was false!

On the other hand school goes on as usual with all the things we have to do before Christmas!!! Tests and grades and songs and lots more! I am ready with the tests and the grades,that's good!So I will be spending all the next weeks singing all kinds of Christmas songs at all levels!
It was hubby's birthday last week and at last I told him what my gift for him is. At first he was shocked because I told him "I will give you your present in six months although I got it three months ago!" I don't know why but he thought I was pregnant and wasn't happy at all.LOL! That wasn't intentional I assure you!
Well his gift is a painting he admired very much some time ago at an exhibition but could not buy as he thought it was rather expensive. I made a secret arrangement with the painter Konstantinos Kougioumtzis and the painting will be with us in six months after travelling around Greece and abroad to various exhibitions! Themis was absolutely thrilled with the news!
Here's a photo of the painting showing Karaghiozis as a soldier at the war for the liberation of Macedonia.

A couple of shadow puppet performances will be given by hubby this month to benefit various causes. It is this time around Christmas we do such things.
Finally an announcement....
We are rehearsing heavily to prepare for a performance with the Teachers' Association Drama Club to present our play Koutornithia at the State Theatre to benefit children with cancer and their society Lampsi.
So whoever from my local friends wants to attend and contribute  this will take place on December 16th at 11 in the morning at the State Theatre ( Θέατρο Εταιρείας Μακεδονικών Σπουδών) with a ticket of 7 euros, all procceeds go to Lampsi. We are so happy and proud with this collaboration!