Less waste

Apart from bying less plastic I am also trying to create less waste. It is important that we learn how to re-use materials, to repair materials, to recycle materials and up-cycle materials. Slowly I am learning. A rug for the bathroom floor was frayed at both ends. I have cut those ends off and sowed a protective line. Now I have a shorter rug but I am able to use it for a long time still.

These straws I found on a beach yesterday. I will always remember the video that showed a turle and the straw that ended up in its nose and how difficult it was to remove it from there. Let’s start using bio-degradeable straws!

Last Sunday the scouts cut their New Year’s cake and it was encouraging to see how these young people are taught to be kind, not te be judgemental and include everybody. These children are also taught to protect the environment and what isn’t more important than that!

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Sorry to take it down

This year I am weary to take the ornaments and lights of the Christmas tree (a branch) Here on Skopelos you cannot buy trees and I think most people have plastic trees. We cut of a small branch of a big tree and decorate that.

The children and me decorated “the tree” in intervals in two days. They basically threw something in the tree whenever they felt like it and I finished of the last “ugly” ornaments and the lights.
The ornaments consist mostly of those made by the children, those from Christmas fares and those that were send to us by family and friends. It is a nice, varied, combination, mostly hand made. We have three hand made Christmas stables, made in the elementary school and they are all near the Chrismas tree.

In Greece it is a custom to take down the tree on the nameday of Jannis, Joanna. I feel like leaving the tree one more day and tomorrow I will start removing it, I promise. Chronia polla/Χρόνια πολλά to everybody bearing the name Jannis, Joanna and all the variations!

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Goodbye Thanos Mikroutsikos

Yesterday, one of the most well-known current composers of Greece died at the age of 72. Thanos Mikroutsikos was born in 1947. He played an important role during the junta years with his music and was persecuted for it. The music he composed was very varied and he was inspired by writers like Bertold Brecht. Mikroutsikos managed to change the original Greek songs by adding more modern and western influences of other musical traditions into his music and songs. He worked together with many Greek and foreign artists. When Melinda Merkouri was minister of culture he worked with her at her ministry. He will be buried on Monday and instead of wreaths the family has asked if the money can be used to help young refugees.

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Quiet

The municipality has decorated the main street. It looks wonderful! The only thing missing are crowds op people admiring the lights but Skopelos during Christmas is not busy. Many people who have worked like crazy in the summer take their break during the Chrismas period. Those that remain have a relaxing Chrismas without crowds everywhere. Come and enjoy it sometime !

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SIFFY Bazaar

The SIFFY team is holding a Christmas bazaar on Saturday from 3 to 6 in the afternoon at the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts. All the money that is raised will go to funding the next film festival in 2020. You can find the foundation driving or walking up from the ringroad and take the turn to Glysteri from there. At the top of the steep road turn left and after two bends you will see the foundation.

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Skopelos Christmas bazar 2019

On Sunday morning starting around 11 O’clock the annual Skopelos Christmas bazar will be held in front of the Municipal cafe. In the afternoon performances will be held and you can contribute to the school funds by buying Christmas decorations. At 4 Santa will arrive and at 5 the Christmas tree will be lighted.

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Manna, the end of a chapter

I have published stories about my mother in law (Manna I called her) on the blog before and most people know she died a couple of years ago. I have also talked about the fact that most deceased people eventually will be taken out of their graves accordingly to Greek tradition.

Today was the beggining of a new chapter for Manna. Her grave was being dug out, the coffin opened and five bones; the skull, two leg bones and two arm bones were taken out and cleaned (with chlorine) They are dried and put into a pillow case with her name on it. We can pick up her bones after two days. We can then put the pillow case into the small casket that Jannis my husband has made. A lot of bones, collected from graves where family members are unknown etc. remain in bags, on the cemetary in the bones house.

On the small casket her initials will be placed and a small church service will be held in her honor later. We will leave her casket in a church close to our home where her husband also has his final resting place. Axx Manna !

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