Avra Vounou Farm & Soapworks

Summer is here!

Gianni finally heard that the contract was finalized yesterday! He will be back to work in Bulgaria the end of July! What a relief! The kids and I will join him for the month of August and part of September (until school starts the 15^th). He’ll probably work until November. This is a great opportunity for him to work part of the year and be home the rest of the year. It has been part of our simplicity plan to do this (no need to chase the mighty dollar like we used to and live on less). He is feeling well enough to work now. His recovery has plateaued but we still have hope for a full recovery.

Sad news- My new horse, Golden Girl, died of a heart attack a couple of weeks ago. It was quite a shock! She was fine in the morning and we found her dead in the afternoon, with her buddy, Aki, standing next to her. She was 22 years old. We will miss her!

My oldest daughter, Stephanie, had just gotten a new horse a few days before. Dias is a sweet, gentle ½ Haflinger 6 year old stallion. I can’t believe I have another stallion. He really is like no other stallion I have ever been around. Steph took him on two large organized trail rides and camped out with him. He was a perfect gentleman even while surrounded by assorted mares in heat and other stallions. She is doing very well with him and I ride him occasionally, as well.

I have time to sit and update everyone because I sent my DH and kids to the beach for a few days for MY holiday! I was supposed to go, too, but I could really use the peace & quiet! It is working out nicely. They are having fun and I am getting a break! My 9 yr old, mildly retarded, niece will be coming to stay with us for ten days on Friday to give her parents a vacation. We enjoy her visits, but I am glad to have some time to recharge my batteries before she gets here! We plan to go camping on my favorite island for a week after she goes home. I hope everyone has a great summer! My prayers are going out for everyone.

May Day

We had a very busy weekend. May 1st is celebrated throughout Europe as "May Day". In Greece, this means yet another good reason to gather with friends & family and roast an animal. We attended DH's best friend's 2nd annual May Day shindig at his "ktima". Ktima is literally building, but it takes on another meaning as well. Most city dwellers (majority of the Greek population) either have a ktima in the country or dream of having one. This is usually a rustic one room cabin with running water, an outhouse and no electricity or the bare minimum for lights. If you can manage to visit your ktima at least weekly, there is usually a dog or two, cats, chickens and a garden. Our friend is a fellow horse nut and can be found there every afternoon and most nights during the summer. In addition to the dogs, cats, chickens and garden, he has a miniature horse, 2 riding horses and his mare's yearling filly. We set up a makeshift stage in the hay shed and ran power from a car battery to power everything needed for the Rockabilly band that entertained us as well as allowing those brave ones among us to try out their instruments. There were Army surplus tents set up in the pasture for anyone who cared to spend the night. The band, "The Bullets", are all friends of ours and are doing pretty well performing throughout Europe with their own brand of fifties-style rock-n-roll complete with ducktail hairdos. There were about 40 adults and 10 children in attendance. The kids took turns riding one of the horses. There was a variety of grilled meats and sausages, as well as the inevitable lamb-on-a-spit and salads galore. At dusk we had a bonfire. Since most of us were reluctant to end the festivities, one family camped out at our house and we were joined by another the next morning. In the evening, family #1 said goodnight and family #2 spent the night. The kids loved playing with the kitties and the baby goats. Sunday we went to get my new horse and today Veronica and I "took her for a spin". She is wonderful!

Melanie in Greece

http://www.avravounou.gr   My soap website

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/avravounou/   my farm blog

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/melskitchen/   my favorite recipes

I've Got a new Horse!

Yippee! I finally found a dream horse for me! I’ve been looking for a horse for myself for two years, ever since I sold my Arab stallion. I just couldn’t find what I was looking for. Easter, I was chatting with a British friend/fellow horse nut and explained my dilemma. I was looking for another “Aki”. Aki is my daughter’s 24 year old gentleman, bomb-proof and lovey. Stephanie says “wait a minute, let me make a couple of calls”. I quickly explained that I couldn’t afford an expensive horse. (she is a dressage and jumping judge and all those horses are really expensive!) The next day she introduces me to a beautiful Irish Draught mare, named Golden. She is a retired showjumper (22 yrs young) and in great condition for trail riding (just what I want!). She is really sweet! And believe it or not she was free! Her owner was reluctant to part with her but had been looking for a place to retire her. We brought her home today! In addition to a new horse, I now have a new friend, Golden’s previous owner.

Melanie in Greece

http://www.avravounou.gr   My soap website

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/avravounou/   my farm blog

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/melskitchen/   my favorite recipes

Welcome Spring!

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter! We celebrated Easter on the Orthodox calendar so it was this past Sunday. It was beautiful! The candle light church service was at midnight Saturday night and everyone in the village, plus relatives and visitors were there. We attended a traditional Greek Easter celebration at my daughter's fiancee's home. There were about 20 people. We roasted a lamb, that our host had fattened, on a spit in the yard. Friends and neighbor's wandered by to wish us "Xristos Anesti" (Christ is risen). It was lovely!

The weather has been beautiful and with it, DH is feeling better. Since his New Year’s car accident, recovery has been slow, but the warm weather is improving the pain and his spirits. We’ve been working on the stable in anticipation of a second horse and starting the garden. It won’t be big this year but will contain our family favorites.

One of my Saanen goats had twin girls, sooo cute! The other one didn’t get pregnant this year. My fault! I always breed on their first heat, around September 15, but last year didn’t get around to it until second heat, around October 15. They are ten years old this year. How long do female goats continue producing?

I’ve been selling excess eggs to neighbors, which pays for all the poultry feed.

With the spring weather, visitors to our village have been steady and many come to my workshop to buy soap. Sales to stores have dropped. After taxes and store profits are tacked on the 6.50 euro price tag is just too high. I really prefer to sell directly to the customer anyway. I’ve taught one soapmaking workshop and have advertised that I am available to groups for demonstrations. That is such fun!

Accident Update

Our New Year's Miracle

We truly had a New Year’s
miracle. Gianni had a wreck in his truck the night of January 1. He was
returning home at around 2AM from a friend’s birthday party when he hit a patch
of ice. After 4-5 nose-to-tail flips, it landed on it’s side in the middle of a
field. Because of roadside bushes and the field was lower than road, he was not
found until 7:30 AM. After removing him through the windshield he actually
managed to stand and speak. He is not sure if he was wearing a seatbelt and the
airbags failed. He suffered hypothermia, mild frost-bite on his fingers, and a
concussion of the cerebral cortex (sorry, not sure if that is what it is called
in English, this is translation from Greek.) Amazingly he did not break any
bones, no internal injuries, and only two minor bruises. Of course, he couldn’t
move for two days and there was a lot of pain in his hands due to the
frost-bite and concussion. He is home from the hospital today, still shaky and
sore. The only lasting effect is that he cannot move the fingers on his right
hand and uses his left hand with difficulty. There has been improvement and the
doctors assure us that he should regain full use (probably within a month) with
physical therapy. The only part of the truck (a 2 year old Nissan Navara,
Frontera in US) still in one piece is the passenger cabin (minus all the
glass). It truly was a miracle. Please pray for his hands to recover. 
 
 
 
A lesson in reading the fine
print: We found out that our 30,000 euro truck with only 2 payments left to pay
it off, is not covered by our insurance. We thought it was. Although this is a
real financial blow, it is just money. I’m just so happy that my hubby is
alive!
 
 

Christmas is near!

A Meek & Quiet Spirit

Food is fun!

Today's Ramble

A CHRISTIAN'S WAY TO REDUCE STRESS

A CHRISTIAN'S WAY TO REDUCE STRESS
1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more.. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13 . Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot.. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against
us?" (Romans 8:31)

Interesting economic measure in Greece.

What's in the soap pot today?

Ergani Trade Fair

I was tagged!

Rule #5 ~ Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog.Rule #6 ~ Let the tagger know your entry is up.

I was tagged by Nancy at http://acountrymom.blogspot.com/

6 things about me:
1) I love my garden, but tend to neglect the weeding.
2) I would rather go camping than stay in a luxury hotel.
3) I prefer to try a new gourmet recipe to going out to eat.
4) My chickens are actually my favorite critter on the farm.
5) I LOVE Christmas! decorating, cooking, the music, everything!
6) I'm a soap mold addict.

people I have tagged:

Annette at http://www.homesteadblogger.com/thedowneys/
Candy Foote at http://www.homesteadblogger.com/CandyFoote/
Morning Sunshine at http://www.homesteadblogger.com/wannabehomesteading/
MJ at http://www.homesteadblogger.com/ThunderwolfRanch/

Busy Week and a happy Thanksgiving

Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow!

My Latest Soap batches

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Soapmakin' Saturday!