Time Flies When You're Having Fun

You know how when you go on a trip or a vacation and you are having so much fun you simply forget about time? Well that is exactly what has happened to Greek Girl. It's hard to believe it but ten years ago today I married my best friend and very favorite person in the whole entire world. So weird I just can not believe we have been married for a decade. Which they say is the "Tin Anniversary".

It all started back on June 9, 2002. I went to an audition for an independent film in NYC on a sunny Sunday afternoon. There I was standing in line minding my own business reading a book and I happened to look up and Bam! I saw the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on and my heart literally stopped. I found out later that he had the same exact reaction or thoughts in his head when he walked up and saw me standing there. We started talking when he asked me about the sign-up sheet for the line and have not stopped talking since. We found out we had quite a lot in common like we were both left handed, both born in September making us both Virgo's, had the same color eyes, both loved loved loved coffee, pizza and a whole slew of other things that make us love spending time together. In fact in the over eleven years since we met each other we have only been apart three days when he had to go away on a modeling job to Poland, and one other time for work for five days. He is my very best friend in the whole entire world to this day.

One of our 1st Dates.

In fact I was so smitten I even wrote a song about him three days after we met while sitting in Bryant Park in NYC. It's called "I Adore You" and in case you haven't listened to it, here it is: https://soundcloud.com/avaaston/i-adore-you

At Faneuil Hall in Boston

So what kind of fun things can two creative people aspiring to have a career in entertainment do in a decade? Well let me see... move all over the country with anywhere from two to five fur kids in tow depending on when it was (thirteen times to be exact), see Boston, New England, the Grand Canyon, the east coast, west coast, the south including Nashvegas and FL, be in an independent film in Italy together, go to Greece, get engaged on a TV show, rescue several dogs including one tied to a parking meter in NYC, one in Miami while on vacation, and chasing down and after three hours rescuing another one on Hollywood Blvd. in LA, go through not one but two major hurricanes in FL, and all sorts of other muckery episodes including but not limited to getting married in Vegas. 

In Greece at The Acropolis visiting my dad.

What's muckery? Well if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time you already know what muckery is. For those of you who don't; it's a word used to describe the "I Love Lucy-esque Episodes" my husband says that seem to follow us (meaning me) around wherever we go. How does one end up getting married in Vegas you might be wondering? Well you see it happens when you are living in LA which is thousands of miles from family that is located in KS, FL, NH, NY, and Greece and you figure it's easier, cheaper and more memorable to just elope in Vegas of all places and no it was not by Elvis. Keith did something very sweet, he put both of our cell phones in the pocket of his suit, one with my mom on it and one with his mom on it so they could both kinda sorta be there.

Wedding in Vegas

I wouldn't trade our muckery for anything in the world and in fact am looking forward to many many many more muckery filled years with my best friend. I hope everyone in the world finds a best friend like mine.

Here we are today - married a decade... wow.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

It's All Greek To Me

Get your Greek on & get your butt to your local Greek Festival!

What in the world? Yours truly is yapping her big fat Greek Yap trap about being Greek again? Yes... I am!  Hey I've been overtaken with the hellenic spirit what can I say ~ and it's that time of year dontcha know.  Summer is in the air and your local Greek Community as it does each and every year has taken over towns all across the US.

Everywhere you drive for the last month or so I'm sure you have seen them, the gigantic blue & white wooden signs announcing the local community Greek Festival. In case you missed them (not sure how you could though that is unless you are driving around like Mr. Magoo) but just incase, you can click this link to find one in your area. http://www.greek-fest.com/greekfest.shtml Of course you could be like Mr. Bricks and the only color signs you notice are yellow & red (like Mc Donald's - eh hemmm).

Now if you don't know what the Greek Festival is all about, it is a celebration to cherish our heritage and support our local Greek Orthodox Church & Community.  It's a wonderful opportunity to learn about Greek Culture, food, art, music and so much more.

So being that I'm Greek (to those of you out there who missed that somehow after all this time, don't let the blonde hair through you off - that's why they make hair dye) ;D It would be sacrilege for me not to partake in my own local festival.  So I did extra working out today, got my sweetie and we were off to have a Yummo dinner with food that reminds me of my yaya & listen to some awesome live Greek Music!

Feat your eyeballs on this...

This sure beats those spongey fake pork McDonald's sandwich's Bricks likes to eat!

Meet Mr. Ava Ava Aston

"Loukoumades" - deep fried dough (I know those words are normally banned from this Greek Girls vocabulary) soaked in cinnamon, honey, and sesame seeds... HELLO!

We shared all this ~ Yes I did, and I enjoyed every bite!

Well that was our trip to this years Greek Festival.  I have to admit it would have been more fun if my dad wasn't back in Greece and any one of my four muckery making sisters were around and not scattered all across the country... but my sweetie & I had a great night nonetheless!  So I'm Ava your roving reporter signing off live from the Greek Festival. Have a beautiful day, and don't forget to smile ~ Yassas (see you later) ! 

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D
www.avaaston.com

Blogger Kidnapped By Armed Men

Amina Arraf - Syrian American Blogger Kidnapped in Damascus 

It's been a rough couple of weeks for hyphenated American Bloggers. Yesterday a popular Syrian American blogger, Amina Araf was kidnapped in Damascus. She was known for her honest posts about her sexuality and open criticism of Syrian President Bashar Assad's autocratic rule. That follows the recent arrest about 2 weeks ago in Bangkok of Thai American blogger Joe Gordon who was arrested when he stepped off a plane. apparently one of his posts contained parts of a unathorized biography called, The King Never Smiles, which is about a Thai King that was banned in Thailand because he was critical of the monarchy there.  If Joe  is found guilty he will be facing between 2 - 14 years in a Thai prison, that's brutal. 

So as a Greek American Blogger I need to think of safety first as I write my blogs in wake of bloggers coming under attack and persecution. I need to look right and left before I click post. I need to have a safety word (just in case). I moved a can of mace next to my lap top. Oh, who am I kidding? No one wants to kidnap me. I am pretty sure my blog, Ava Aston's Muckery is totally immune for making me a target of arrest or kidnapping. Not sure anyone really cares about me swapping out winter clothes with summer clothes, all of the muckery my four dogs have gotten into, the road trip I took with my Aunt Iris and Ted Williams' head, the incompetence of my manager Mr. Bricks or how many cups of coffee I drank today. Somehow topics like those don't seem like they would make me the epicenter of an international incident involving another hyphenated American blogger.

The one thing both Joe and Amina had in common about their blogs was that they both spoke openly about politics of their country. And so far, except for a few goat jokes, I have not been critical about Greece. Now oddly enough, it was Mr. Bricks who has always insisted that I keep my blog free of politics. Hmmm, maybe the McRib loving, diet coke guzzling, lazy eyed  Mr. Bricks  just saved my life. Who knows?

But then I was thinking... if I was arrested or if I was kidnapped, what a great platform that could possibly be for my music and for my blog numbers. I am sure my new publicist Tiana could help spin it into something positive for me. I am kinda liking this idea. I know if I did become an international incident the headlines would be all over the place:

Greek Blonde Girl Goes Missing 

No wait, I can't use that headline because then people will just think I lost my noggin and I can't find my way back home.

Greek American Blogger Sings Jail House Blues

No, I don't want that as a headline either. There is just something creepy to me about using the word Sing and Jail in the same sentence.  Maybe I watched too many prison movies as a little girl. But, if a headline says Greek American Blogger Sings at House of Blues, now I would be all over that one, just sayin'.

Greek Blogger Kidnapped At Gun Point and Returned 15 Minutes Later

If the bandits read my blog before they kidnapped me I think they might realize how high maintenance Greek Girls are and that I would end of talking them to death and what a poor choice of a kidnap target I actually was. I am confident after a few minutes they would realize their mistake and return me.

Or my favorite possible headline is...

Greek Girl's Music Goes Gold and Her Blog Goes Viral

Just as long as the next sentence wasn't ... after her discarded body was found stuffed into a dumpster behind a McDonald's in Manhattan.

Although I am having a little fun here we must never forget the serious nature of what has happened to Joe and Amina. We should never be persecuted for our speech. I ask you all to continue to pray with me for both Amina and Joe, as all of us bloggers are in this together.  I have made so many friends by blogging. My heart truly goes out to both of these fellow bloggers and for their families.

Blessings,

Ava

xox

You Know You Are Greek When...

The Greek Girl in Greece

I see where they are finally coming out with the TV show called  My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding here in America. It is already a huge hit in the UK. The English term Gypsy (or Gipsy) originates from the Greek word for Egyptian because it is believed that many Gypsy groups originated from Egypt. In America the word gypsy is commonly used as a reference to a lifestyle or fashion, and not to the ethnicity.

I will be anxious to see if this new series is as an accurate of portrayal of the Gypsies as the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding was for the Greeks.  That movie was spot on. I laugh every time I watch it because it is like watching home movies. Here is a quick test to find out of you are really Greek or not.  

You know you are Greek when....   

1. You and your siblings are named after one of your grandparents
2. You have a komboloi in your house right now and know how to work one! ( A strand of worry beads that you flip back and forth)
3. You have a bottle of OUZO in your house right now (It's an alcoholic beverage)
4. You have already tasted kourampiedes and melomakarona (Cookies - Yummo)
5. You can name any or all of the gods on Mount Olympus
6. Your hands and mouth move even when you sleep
7. You can't understand how cities in other countries function without periptera (Buildings that have columns out front)
8. You eat feta and bread daily with your meal
9. You have more relatives than Donny & Marie Osmond
10. You make a protomagiatiko stefani on the 1st of May (Colorful flower Wreaths)
11. You know how to play tavli and play it with your relatives when you gather (Greek Backgammon)
12. The traffic light turns red, instead of pressing the brakes, you speed through
13. You think strikes are national holidays
14. You park on sidewalks and at store entrances
15.  You have 13 bottles of Olive Oil in your kitchen, "just in case"
16. You or any family member has been photographed on or near a donkey
17. You can go and sit in a diner with a cup of coffee for hours on end
18. You eat lunch at 3:00pm and dinner at 10:00pm
19. You have ever eaten halva, tsatsiki, and taramosalata (Greek Appetizers)
20. You have at least one relative named Kostas, Giannis, Maria or Dimitris

Have a Great Greek Day!

Blessings,

Ava

xox