Concert with Anda

Mattias has a friend, Anders, that he is playing Swedish folkmusic together with in a duo, Anda. Anders was planing a visit to the island and it was decided that they would do a Christmas concert together. We've been putting up posters and hoping for word of moth to be a good advertiser.
Anders was planing to come here on Tuesday but missed his train from Skopje and then on Wednesday there where no ferrys because of strike and on Thursday we still didn't know if he would get across to the island since it started snowing and some ferrys was canceled.
But he did make it across and we were having a beautiful evening in the culture house.

Dimitri and Kenneth outside, welcoming peopel to the consert.

Mattias in playing a lute from this part of the world
(being in Greece we don't have to go into details since it's a Saz from Turky :-)

In the early Christian life of Sweden the old gods and ways where still in use.
In one of the songs that was sang it's telling about this as it's sharing the story of tree brothers, three fishermen, that on the night of Christmas eve are going out fishing. When the storm is getting stronger they are throwing their brother, the navigator, in the sea to plead the gods. But the storm is not ceasing and without their navigator they don't find their way so they are calling out to God almighty and a dove (a picture of the holy spirit) is appearing, sitting in the front to guide their way.

Anders is playing a Keyed fiddle, a traditional Swedish instrument.

If you want to hear or read som about Anda you can look at these sites
http://www.anda.info.se/ and http://www.myspace.com/andafolk

At the end Kenneth was sharing a word. He had brought a picture from a quite remarkable and fun story, a women that happend to brake her plastic santa Clause and found Jesus inside. I think it's a good picture of what Christmas is all about! www.aftonbladet.se
We have to let go of that which is not true in our lifes to be able to see Jesus.

Snow :-)

For a couple of days we have had beautiful views
as the snow covers the mountaintops!

This morning we didn't have much of a view, but snow covering the rooftops :-) and it's still snowing...

Harald took his teddy and made himself comfortable inside where it's dry and warm.
While we made our way to the church for work and plesure.

I guess our Geraniums don't quite fancy the snowy weather...

December 6

December 6 is not only the birthday of Ulf Ekberg from Ace of bace...
my focus will neither be on Finland though it is their national day...
now someone might have in mind that this was the day that London became the world's first city to host licenced taxicabs...
but my focus will naturally be on Greece as this is one of the days that will fall into my study of important Greek days.
December 6 is the day of άγιος Νικόλαος (saint Nicholas)- Nicholas the wonderworker!
He is the saint for the kids and the sailors. Said is that he had a habbit of putting coins in peopels shoes.
In Greece (in differens from other europen countrys that are celebrating st Nicholas) he does not come with gifts, the greek children has to wait till new year to get their presents.
But I guess st Nicholas is the reson that Greeks are decorating their boats like Christmas trees at this season.
And then of course, it's another day for the kids to be off school and for the shops to be closed.

Two years ago this day also was given another mening as a young boy, Alexis Grigoropoulos, was killed by a police. Read more about it here.

Creative evening.

We had a very fun evening with the kids.

The kids were buzy doing christmas decorations.

Beautiful creations

Mr and mrs Pelidi (pastor and wife)

Julpyssel

This comming Saturday we are having special
X-mas addition of Lenas open church.
We are prepairing with good ideas,
toilet roles, stars, glitter, paper etc etc.

Tomorrow I will run around our town
and put this nice posters in every corner :-)