He's Back

I was kinda hoping he wasn't going to visit this year...

Just when I thought we might get to skate through the winter without any major snow events, it looks as if my fantasy winter forecast may just have a rude awakening. In case you missed it, the weather experts are saying Old Man Winter is about to rear his ugly head and dump what's touted as "historic" amounts of snow on the North East in the next few days. This in and of itself enough to make me want to grab the Mister., the furkids, and flip flops and head south for the winter. Add this onto the muckery of late and you have a full blown chaos factory. What kind of chaos?...

Well it all started like this. My Yaya went to be with the Lord recently. So we traveled a few hours north to attend the memorial service and visit family. Sad yes because she will be missed by everyone, but also happy because she was such an inspiring and kind woman who touched so many people in her ninety years on this earth. She immigrated from Greece as a young girl of twenty two years of age and lived what really was the American Dream. She waited in line, went to school and learned to read and write English and then passed her exam to become an American citizen. She married her true love, raised three wonderful children, worked hard, never demanded anything from this country, and never took a penny she did not earn. As my uncle Chris so eloquently stated... a sharp contrast to whats going on in our country today.

Spending time with family to reflect and honor such a wonderful woman was enough. Grief as many have experienced can be hard. I found happiness though the day of the memorial, the morning was cold and snowy. When we came out of the luncheon at the church the skies we bright blue with blazing sunshine. The neatest part of this was my Papoo had passed just over a year earlier and he was obsessed with the weather. He was always talking about the weather and it was almost like they were giving everyone the sign that they were together and happy with Jesus.

So Saturday rolls around and it's time to pack up the car and go home. We stopped for a hot cup of magic a la Dunkins for the road and off we went. We get not thirty miles from town when all of the sudden while driving down the highway the cruise control shuts off and this yellow coil looking do-dad light comes on in the dash. The car starts to slow down and acts as if it is not getting any power from the accelerator. I'm thinking "What in the heck in the world is happening on with our 2013 German tank aka VW Passat TDI"? Normally I'm gushing to everyone about the 40+ mpg we get, how we just love love love our TDI, and how we can get from NY to FL on two tanks of diesel. Saturday night however, I was singing a different song.

After much sputtering, shaking, the coil light going off never to go back on, then the  engine light coming on, and a terrible wind whistle noise coming from the engine which eventually led to a burning smell, and three calls to roadside assistance, turning the car off and doing everything they told us... We found ourselves stranded in the middle of rural upstate NY on a cold dark side road with not one, not two, but five furkids in the car with us. Thankfully we were only thirty miles from family who came to rescue us and our belongings while the tow truck took Paul Passat off to the nearest VW dealer. Where it will sit until Monday morning when the dealer opens. After getting to safety lo and behold we discovered we are not the only ones this has happened to. The internet is full of people who had the exact same thing happen. The cruise control turns off while driving and end up just like we did. It turns out, in many of these cases it is the turbo blown and engine as well.

You can bet your bottom dollar that this Greek girl is going to be on the phone with VW ASAP. Especially since our car has only 25,000 miles on it, is under warranty, is also a certified preowned, and worst of all it has been into several service departments for a "hesitation issue" with the acellerator. Where we described to them that it felt like it was not getting power when pushing gas pedal and a sputtering at times. Only to be told it was "nothing to worry about", that they did a computer update on the transmission that should take care of it. According to what we found on the internet there has been a known issue going on with the TDI's in this model year and we were never made aware.

So on top of sorting out trying to get our car fixed we will be trying to get home just in time to get a wallop from old man winter as he makes his 2015 debut. Frustrating yes, but at the same time all fixable. At the end of the day it's all a matter of perspective. I can complain because we got stuck on the highway at night, or I can be happy that we have a newer car that actually is under a warranty. I can be annoyed that there is a major snowstorm on it's way or I can be happy I'm still here to complain about it... No matter what is going on, the most important thing is that we live every day to it's fullest. Something that my Yaya did.

Times might not always be perfect, and yes they may even be hard. Every day there is something to learn and a new chance to plant seeds in the lives of those around us. So grab that shovel and get ready to welcome Old Man Winter back for what hopefully is a short stay.

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

National Coffee Day

A little taste of my coffee brewing collection.

National Coffee Day... what exactly does that mean? Well for coffee addicts like me that means once a year we get to show up at coffee joints around the country and get a free cup of joe. Seriously though if you didn't know about it, yes there is such a thing as a "National Coffee Day", and yes some chains and local coffee houses are offering a free cup of coffee to celebrate.

Most people who read my blog if they know anything about me (besides the fact that I'm Greek) they know this one thing, I love love love love love coffee. This makes perfect sense of course because we Greek's perfected the art of coffee drinking, along with inventing  drama (acting), politics, and the windex. I laughed out loud when I visited Greece one time and on a tour of a park near the Acropolis the guide told our little group that Greek's invented drama and politics. I was thinking to myself "so that explains why I'm an actor (besides a recording artist) and highly opinionated about politics." 

The art of coffee drinking masterfully blended with drama can be wittnessed at any Greek Diner. I can almost guarantee you that somewhere in there is a table full of Greek's chatting away full of passionate talking and hand gestures. So I guess the genes carried on in Greek Girl because ever since I can remember I have loved coffee. I love the smell of it brewing, I love the taste of it, and the feel of a cup in my hands. No it doesn't help me to write better songs, or remember my lines, I just like it. What can I say? Everyone has something. Besides there have even been studies that suggest it is good for your bones/health so that's a thumbs up in my book.

Now I do have my favorites and it really depends on the day, time or situation as to what kind of coffee I'm in the mood for. My absolute favorite hot coffee ever is Dunkin Donuts. Second is McDonald's, yes they have very good coffee, and the best part is a large is only $1.08 - can't beat that!  My favorite iced coffee is Starbucks. At home I have all kinds of ways to enjoy a good cup of joe, I have a Keurig, where I can brew my Dunkins. There's also a regular drip coffee pot, a french press and one of my personal favorites my Nespresso Espresso Machine. If you've never had a Nespresso I highly suggest finding a store near you and going to get a sample cup. It brews the espresso at the optimun tempature so the taste is always perfect, and they are known for the creme on the top, it's just perfect! Nothing else to be said. Another little treat I got turned onto while visiting  Greece was Nescafe'. Yes I did just say that I like instant coffee. See in Greece it is very popular (so much so that they even sell these at McDonald's there), iced Nescafe'. It's Nescafe' in a large cup, milk, half and half, or both and sweeten to liking. Then you have a Yummoliscious iced cup of happiness!

No matter what your favorite cup of happiness is, today is the day to think about how something so simple can bring a little happiness and smile to your face. Stop by your favorite place to get one and think of all the other coffee lovers out there who love it just as much as you do. I know that participating Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's are offering a free cup, for any other places that are just check online. So raise your cup and happy sipping!

Here's to celebrating hot cups of happiness all day long!

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

Let The Games Begin

Will you be watching?

Everyone knows the Greeks invented the Olympics along with everything else. We invented church, drama, politics, the art of drinking coffee, and the Olympics along with the Windex. One thing I know is that we sure as heck did not invent the "Winter Olympics", why? Because it's cold and we Greeks hate the snow, and you know we definitely did not invent the Polar Vortex! In fact the only ice I like is in my iced coffee. Which was probably also invented by us Greeks since it is an ingenious way of blending warm and cold together.

So if not us Greeks, who did invent or start the "Winter Olympics"? Well according to the information I found on the interweb the Winter Olympics was started in Sweden with the Nordic Games in 1901 by Vicktor Gustaf Balck; who later brought it into the International Olympic committee back in 1926. Which is actually interesting because contrary to popular belief the original settelers of Greece were "Dorian" which are Nordic people. They all had blonde hair and blue eyes, and according to my dad the only reason they got the dark skin, eyes and big noses is because... (imagine for a minute as you read the following a thick broken Greek-English accent) "They mixed with the Turks!" Don't believe me look it up. Think about it... "Alexander The Great" blonde, blue eyed. So, in a way it's almost like we did invent the "Winter Olympics" too in a round about way of course. There I rest my case, Ut Oh, I guess that would make us hypocrites then because we don't like the cold... oy vey!

One thing is for sure, if there were an event for coffee drinking the Greeks would win hands down every time. Why? Because no matter what is happening or going on in ones life the first thing a Greek person says to you when they see you is something to the effect of "it's OK, come on let's go for coffee, sit down and talk about it". We sure can talk and drink coffee.

So anyway you can bet I'll have a hot cup of my very favorite coffee a la Dunkin Dounts in my hot little hands parked on the couch with my fur kids as I watch the parts of the "Winter Olympics" that I like. Yes I said "parts", honestly I don't care for all of it. I like the Figure Skating and Hockey pretty much, and a little of the downhill skiing, that is about it.  Remember, this Greek Girl, like most of my people don't care for the cold, that is why they left the Nordic regions in the first place.  So that being said, just the thought of it makes me cold so why would I torture myself watching all that cold activity when I would rather be in Tarpon Springs Florida in a pair of flip flops, or as we like to call it the "Little Greece" in America.

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

Landslide

Don't complain unless you are in the game.
Vote Nov. 5, 2013.

So I am doing my thing and minding my own business.  Okay who am I kidding?  I was searching the internet looking for some new deals on Kohls.com and printing coupons for my favorite things like Dunkin Donuts and Zone Bars.  That was when I came across this story about this upcoming election and how in one state in particular they are calling for a Landslide.

Now as you know being Greek, and since us Greeks created politics I just had to check out what in the heck in the world were they talking about?  See I was confused because like everyone else I have been mostly hearing about Obamacare and all the lying and misleading that went along with that bill of goods.  So I read on.

Low and behold I found myself actually enjoying the fact that there is a very strong possibility that Chris Christy is going to win the New Jersey Gubernatorial election.  Now I know there are a lot of "Christy-Haters" out there, and he's not this Greek Girls favorite, there a lot of things about him I don't agree with. However, it is far better than the alternative.  This got me to thinking "This could be a good thing."  Well of course anytime I see someone who is on the conservative side of things winning it is a good thing.  But this is different because I was reading it in a mainstream media news article on Yahoo.  What's more is that the article went on to discuss how there are a number of very decisive elections being held all around the country.

This is the part that got me.  The article talked about how few people actually pay attention to the local elections and only vote in the Presidential election.  The point was and is that if we as a people, you know, "WE THE PEOPLE" (ah-hem selfish plug for my song) would actually unplug from Kardashian's and the renaming debacle of the Washington Redskin's and actually pay attention to the things that really matter, I wonder where our country would be.

What am I talking about?  Well people listen up.  If you are like me and you are sick and tired of all the nonsense going on around us such as Obamacare and all the mess that is going on in Washington DC, we need to do something.  "What's that Greek Girl?  I need to do something?"  Yes, it's called get your butt up off your sofa this Tuesday, take a 1/2 hour shorter lunch break, go in to the office a little earlier or come home just a little later and get over to your local voting booth.

It is time we stand up, time we speak out, time WE THE PEOPLE take our country back and stop allowing the bureaucrats and political elite decide what is right and wrong for us and our families.  For crying out loud even God Himself said, "If my people who are called by my name and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land." - Isaiah 43:7.

So this Tuesday, if you haven't already cast your ballot through early voting or absentee ballot please get out and exercise your right and take part in helping restore our amazing and God-given country.

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

Kohl's Cash

Addicting...

WARNING: You are now entering what I like to call the "Kohl's Cash Crack Time Warp" zone.  What in the heck in the world are you talking about Greek Girl?  Well if you were using your noggin and shopped at Kohl's like I do you would know exactly what I am talking about!

Once upon a time way way back in the early 2000's my mom told me about a store she had discovered.  Being the good Greek Girl that I am, I decided heed her advice and check it out.  I did, it was nice enough and they had a great Jr.'s department with one of my favorite lines of jeans "Levi's" also a decent selection of sneakers.  So over the years I have been shopping there as needed to get whatever I needed at the time at a good value, no big deal yet.

Fast forward to 2010.  Now I'm not sure how long they had been doing this before I found out about it, but let me tell you once I did I felt like I had hit the Jackpot Lotto for thrifty Greek Girls!  So they have this thing they do all the time where for every $50.00 you spend, they will give you either $10.00 or even sometimes $15.00 in "Kohl's Cash".  It's great because if you're going to get something you needed anyhow, it allows you to get a lot more bang for your buck!  Especially good for Holidays, Birthday's etc.

Most of the time they also have some sort of percent off going on as well.  Either a scratch to get 10, 20, and even up to 30% Off or they send you a percent off on the front of their flyer in the mail!  Often it's running while you are buying up goodies to get your Kohl's Cash.  However what I find is really awesome, at times so good you almost feel like you're robbing the joint is when you are redeeming some Kohl's Cash and you have a 30% off coupon... you can get things for ridiculous cheap!

OK this is all good and well Greek Girl but what exactly is a "Kohl's Cash Crack Time Warp"?  Well... that is what happens when you have Kohl's Cash to spend or if you are buying things when they happen to be giving Kohl's Cash away.  At all times in your mind while you're shopping you are busy not only picking out the stuff you want, but adding and doing math at the same time.  Because if they're giving it you want to stay on the $50.00 mark so you don't waste it.  For instance if you spent $75.00 while they are giving away Kohl's Cash, you would only be $25.00 away from getting another $10.00 in Kohl's Cash.  What ends up happening is you start to wonder about all the things you need to buy that you might otherwise buy somewhere else, and instead buy them at Kohl's in order to get the Kohl's Cash, or get whatever you're wanting to buy for the best price.

Why it can turn into a Time warp is, picking out stuff you want and doing math in your noggin can be time consuming.  Trying things on, using your iPhone to add, subtract and do percent off.  Jumping from department to department to get the deals... All while trying to hold/drink my coffee (yes Dunkin's), text my mom or one of my sisters, stay up on my twitter feed, and push my cart of loot without dumping it.  Can anyone say Muckery?...  Before you know it, two hours can fly by;  Thus the time warp element!

For me it's when I'm redeeming Kohl's Cash... I like to scan the clearance rack in the Jr. Department.  I get the most insane deals.  It's not just the Jr. dept. it's any of the sale racks, I have even scored a Ton of deals for Mr. Greek Girl too!  Like what?...  a few of my scores over the years:  a $7.00 pair of Sketchers Sneakers, a $3.25 shirt, a pair of Hydraulic Jeans for $5.00 and my best find ever.... a pair of Hydraulic Jeans for $2.44.  Yes I did just say I got a pair of jeans that would have cost about $100 bucks at Macy's for $2.44.  No worries here people you will never see Greek Girl on one of those shows where they tell the stories of celebrities who went broke from living large.  Nope it's just not in my DNA, I love getting deals.  Hey it doesn't grow on trees and why pay more for something if you can get it for less?  (Remember the mulch blog back in May, wink wink...)  Plus the less money I spend on other stuff means the more money I have to spend on making Music!

Like the saying goes: "A Picture is wroth a thousand words", so here are a few of my favorite finds.

Yes I did get this shirt at Kohl's for a whopping $3.25...

To date my Best Deal Ever! $2.44 for Hydraulic Jeans,                                Score one for Greek Girl!

So the next time you need to get something, from sneakers, to pajama's, to luggage; get your butt over to the nearest Kohl's Pronto!  Remember... before you do anything, check the clearance rack and see if they are doing a percent off and you might just score a Greek Girl Deal for yourself!

Happy "Kohl's Cash Crack Time Warping" to you!

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

A Perfect Day

Still my Favorite person after Eleven years! :D

Just another Sunny Summer Sunday in June... Well it's about dang time, I was starting to think Summer had been kidnapped.  Anyone who has been reading my blog knows one thing, I loathe the winter!  So why do I live in the North East, honestly I have no idea! Summer never can come soon enough for me.  When it's time to do the yearly swap out of winter clothes and Ugg Boots for flip flops, sneakers and summer clothes this Greek Girl gets giddy.

Another reason this time of year makes me giddy is because June is when I met my very favorite person in the whole entire world! Who?... that would be Mr. Ava Aston of course :D !  Yep it all started on a Sunday afternoon way back on June 9th, 2002.  It still seems like yesterday.  I was at home contemplating going to the city for an audition for an independent film.  I had slept late and it was a toss up, go and not have time to workout, or stay home and workout...  Something anyone else who has been reading my blog knows is - I love working out and do not skip many.  My little sister said to go, that she had a feeling "something good was going to happen to me".  She sure was right (yes that pains me to say that my little sister was right about something) ;o)

So I skipped my workout, went to the city and got in line for the audition.  A little bit after signing in I looked up and my heart literally stopped beating in my chest and I gasped.  Little did I know Mr. Ava Aston had spotted me a few minutes earlier and done the exact same thing... he asked me a question about the sign in sheet and after about a half hour or beating around the bush while waiting in the line we started talking and have not stopped talking since.

We discovered among other things, we are both left handed Virgo's with the exact same color eyes, love coffee, pizza, chocolate, and and and....  We're both artistic (him an actor, writer, and aspiring film maker) with me it's music and acting.  If you didn't know Keith is actually the glue that holds the Aston ship together.  He makes my music videos, website, all of it.  So here we are eleven years to the day on a Sunny Summer Sunday afternoon thinking about what to do for the anniversary of the day we met.

Being that we both love cars & Greek food we decided to mix the two together.  Take in a British Classic Car Show and the yearly Greek Festival around the corner.  Yes Greek Girl was in her glory... I don't know what it is about cars but man I sure do love them.  So here are a few highlights from a fun afternoon of chill-axing with my favorite person!

Yeah I had to have been a Greaser or a Mechanic in a former life...                      Cars make my heart beat Real Fast! Vroom Vroom!                                            (but I still drive like a granny) go figure.

Yummo!

No One does Coffee like we Greeks! Boil it up old fashioned style on the stove top in a ibriki... Add in the Baklava & cookies and you're Golden!

And that my friends is how a Sunny Summer Sunday in June went! Hope you make the most of your Sunny Sundays too!  Have a beautiful day!

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

Ahead of the Curve

Doesn't everyone garden in pink Coach boots? No way I would wear my sneakers out there. Hello?!?

No I am not talking about the movie "Trouble With The Curve" starring two of my favorite actors, Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake.  What I am talking about is the Greek Girl can be a procrastinator. Oh, who am I kidding everyone is always way too early and I'm on flip-flop time even when it is sub-zero outside.  I go at my own pace, not Gangnam Style but GreekGirl Style if you know what I mean.

One thing happened last year and the year before and every year leading up to this year: I missed out on getting my tan-lines in check on Memorial Day Weekend.  Why?  Because I was behind the curve and didn't take care of the all-important yard work around my yard.  Now I know what you are thinking and yes I am insanely allergic to the poison ivy, oak and sumac factory that resides in my yard. For what it's worth when I go outside to work in the yard I might as well have a bubble I can jump inside.  I wish I was like the Jetson's and I could create a force field to keep the stuff away.

The other thing I am sure you are thinking is, "why is the great international superstar Ava Aston" doing her own yardwork anyway?  Well, because though I am great and all :) I am not an international superstar - yet.  For that matter some of my neighbors have no clue who I am.  So until this Greek Girl can shell out the dough to have a yard minion come and do my yard up right, I have to keep up my Greek Scootchin' ways.

This right here is what you call thunderstorm mulch muckery people!

So here's how I got ahead of the curve:

Step 1: Price out types of mulch at all local facilities delivered in bulk by the yard and compare them to the bagged mulch at Lowes and Home Depot.

Step 2: Realize it's going to be a lot of money for the kind I want, and this Greek Girl don't like to spend more than she has to on anything, except skincare, massages and sneakers.

Step 3: Hunt for the Deal.  Yep, just because this Maxxanista can't get mulch at her local TJ Maxx doesn't mean she can't still find a deal somewhere else.  So I took my Greek Maxxinista skills from what I learned scouring the racks and applied what I learned and found a great deal on Craigslist.

Step 4: Convince my husband what a great deal it is and show him just how much money we are going to save by having to drive 40 miles to the next county to buy some mulch sight unseen.  (Oh yeah two times there and back that is).

Step 5: Clean out all the beds around the entire house and make sure no weeds are in sight.  If there is anything I can't stand it's "weeds".

Step 6: Locate the cheapest rental vehicle I can to drive up and collect my bargain mulch.

Step 7: Dress like I work in the mines and head out to the local Enterprise Rental where we would have to wait around for an hour while Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum employees can't find the keys to not one but two cargo vans.  Then have to drive across the county to another dealer to get a van.  (not before this Greek Scootch made dang sure to get a deal and cut the bill in half for our inconvenience.)

Step 8: Drive the other direction across the county to collect my loot with not just one but two vehicles.  Oh yeah, I wasn't gonna let a deal go by without getting all the goods.  We drove the VW TDI SportWagon and a Cargo van through the woods and hills to Grandma's house we went - almost.  Surprised we didn't see Red Riding hood along this trail of muckery.

Step 9: Sort through broken wet bags of mulch that were piled high on pallets and stuff 150 of them into the cargo van and VW.  Do it all while trying to stay clean and cute at the same time.  Not easy you know.

Step 10: Convince my husband I am not crazy and that this was a really good idea and that he will be so glad I made him do this.

Step 11: Drive back home and unload all the mulch as fast as we can without getting struck by lightning.  Oh, did I forget to mention it started to downpour with thunder and lighting as we unloaded the bags?  Yeah we felt like two stranded golfers in our own front yard huddled under a tree.  Only thing was we had a ho and a rake not a 5 iron and putter in our hands.

Step 12:  Race back to the scene of the crime and get as much more of that mulch we couldn't get the first trip in the cargo van as possible.

Step 13: Buy some scratcher lotto tickets and a PowerBall and MegaMillions on the way home just in case.  Figure if we win I can say it was all because I am a genius!

Step 14: Race back home and try to not slip off the road in the rain and stall the van at the same time because the gas is cheaper in New Jersey, right down the road from where we live. Did I say I was a scootch?

Step 15: go to sleep and start over in the morning.

Yes I am wearing two outfts the same day. Doesn't everyone shower and change clothes in middle of a garden project?

Step 16: Spread the mulch all over the beds and make it look real pretty and thank my husband for not putting me in the garbage can with the weeds for making him run amuck for some mulch.

Step 17: Now I can relax and get out my bathing suit to lay out on my back porch on Memorial Day.  I can sit and drink an iced cup of Magic a la Dunkins while admiring my newly mulched yard!  This way instead of getting Poison Muck I will be getting my tan-line.  That is unless I am out singing somewhere cool.

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

The Bible

The Greatest Story is not just a story it's who we are and what makes us so.

So I was all excited to settle down tonight with a hot cup of Dunkin' Donut's (decaf of course) and a few Pekingese to snuggle up with and watch History Channel's "The Bible" by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.  Now, I know it's the second week of the 5-part series, and yes I did watch last week.  That's why I was so excited to get to watch it this week.  In case you haven't tuned in, which I can't imagine why you wouldn't, this is a really neat and one of a kind production.  Instead of a full length film about one character from the Bible we are getting to see and meet the main characters throughout the entire Bible.  It's actually pretty cool to see it like this.

Now, because I 'love' Roma Downey from Touched By an Angel and I used to watch that show whenever I could, I am not surprised she is a Christian and would want to produce this project.  What I did not know is that Mark Burnett was a Christian and would also be involved in making this project.  So for that, I say Kudos! That's Greek for "two-thumbs up" in case you didn't know.  What is even more interesting was that after reading about the production aspect of the mini-series, I learned the crew insisted on having prayer-circles and really dedicating the production to the guidance of God's hand in making it come to life.  One other thing I didn't know but find interesting is that when they produced it they wanted it to be engaging from the perspective of both those who are of the faith and for those who may not know the Bible story and therefore find it interesting.  So instead of making it over-dramatic with an overtly religious tone they insisted on it being made as a tool to minister to those who would possibly come to know Jesus and God through the Bible mini-series.

But then during the commercial break I made a mistake.  I opened my facebook to read my thread only to be completely disappointed.  If any of you know anything about me you would know how much it upsets me that our society is going down the drain with all the Beyonce, Housewife of Whatevertown, Lady Gaga and the idolized overpaid criminal gangster athletes leading the way.  So like I was saying, all I see in my newsfeed is a bunch of Christians complaining about how bad The Bible mini-series is and how it's so inaccurate. Some people were saying how they should be ashamed and that they can't watch it because it was blasphemous or whatever.

Let's just say, this kind of attitude really irked Greek Girl.  I was a bit perturbed to say the least.  Here I am thinking, "Isn't this great, we have a Hollywood Powerhouse couple making an effort to impact society through producing Godly Christian content in the mainstream arena and it falls in line with my ideals.  Meanwhile a whole bunch of miserable Christians are bashing it as if it were Beyonce flashing the Illuminati sign while half-naked during the Super Bowl.  Ironically, most people didn't even complain nearly as much about that as they did about The Bible mini-series.

So, I just have to ask, "What in the heck in the world is wrong with some people?"  Seriously, if we have any desire to change the way people act and behave in society and the direction of where we are taking, we have to start somewhere.  I tip my hat off to Burnett and Downey for taking a risk and trying to connect with both believers and no-believers alike while trying to honor the message and story of God and Jesus at the same time.  Here's my Greek Girl suggestion, instead of "bashing" what others are doing about spreading God's message of love and faith why not embrace it and promote it for what it is and encourage more content like it to be produced.  By doing so, we just might actually start to see this country begin to slowly turn around and just maybe we can start seeing morals and values come back "into fashion"...  Just a thought.

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

Storytellers

A good story is a timeless and beautiful thing to enjoy and share.

Well here I am plopped on my couch watching the Oscars.  Are you really surprised? I mean I am Greek... We did invent "Acting" remember?  That along with the windex, politics and good food of course.

So it's got me to thinking about the whole process.  The glitz, the glam, who gets nominated, who doesn't.  Whose wearing what and whom.  Who is so and so's date and on and on...  We all know so much of what goes on Oscar night boils down to a popularity contest.  Yet there are so many amazing stories that because of popularity do not get the attention they deserve.  So many stories yet unseen, and even more stories who are yet untold.

There are screenplays from countless storytellers from all over the world that are waiting to come to life.  Not only that but the world is full of great storytellers.  Almost everything we experience on a daily basis is a story.  Not just the movies, but TV, animation, music, blogs, newspapers, and magazines.  Stories are everywhere.

We have such a strong connection to stories.  Really who doesn't want their life to be like a story?  The good guy wins, gets the girl, and the dog finds his way home again.  If only life were that simple.  Stories help us to find our way through life through the good times and the bad.  And the greatest storyteller of all... Jesus.

He used stories to tell us how we are to live and how to navigate through this life according to his plan and purpose for us.  It was his primary message of communicating with us and delivering God's message.  Modern theatre was birthed from the Church (the Greek one of course - the "Correct Church" that is - LOL) ;D Think about it...  That is why most churches are designed in the way they are.  The pastor is telling a story, conveying a message and most times the choir helps drive home that message with songs, that also tell stories.  Which is ironic because that very industry (the film industry) was birthed from the church, and it is doing everything it can to keep God out of it.

Geeze... it's a good thing there are people like me ;D Who desire to tell stories using my talents through music and acting that invoke thinking and promote morals, values and yes even Godliness into our Pop Culture and into society.  Yes I said it that bad word that might possibly offend someone "Godliness".  The best part is, I'm not alone.  There are so many amazingly talented artists out there who create and produce thought provoking stories that are also funny and entertaining.

At the end of the day... isn't that what we all want anyway?  To be inspired and to smile... I will say that the entire cast of Les Miserables singing the finale song on stage - that sure did make Greek Girl smile.

Blessings,
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com

Don't Quit

If you stop Gargamel just might get you, so you have to keep on going!

Did you ever have one of those days?...  Of course you have.  I mean that is unless you're one of the Smurf's living in a cartoon world where everything is drawn out for you.  I mean imagine if you were a Smurf, what's the worst thing that could ever happen?  You get chased by Gargamel?

Seriously though... if you're not a Smurf and you're a real person living in the real world it is highly plausible that at one time or another you've had a bad day.  So what do you do when that happens to you?  Are you the kind of person who just buries their head under the covers to hide until it has passed?  Or do you dig your heels in and push back when the world pushes at you.

Because no matter who we are, where we live, or what we do or are trying to do, there always comes a point where we have to make a choice.  Chose to keep going or give up.  For me there is no other option, I keep going.  Maybe it's that Greek "Stubborn" gene I was born with, you know the same Greek gene that invented the Windex, Acting, Politics, or any of the other cool stuff that came from the ancient Greeks.  Or maybe it's because I have spent my entire life chasing the same goal, I don't know.

For some people it's not that easy.  Some people find out what they are made of early on in life, for others it comes later.  Some, however never discover how strong they really are.  That makes me sad.  Some people give up before they have ever really reached their true potential, and even worse some do the unthinkable, they kill themselves.

How is it that so many celebrities have committed suicide lately?  Some have flat out killed themselves.  Others did it slower with drugs and alcohol and overdosed.  My question is, how is it that so many people with seemingly so much to live for and to look forward to could give up so easily?  I think part of it, well maybe a big part of it is because as a society we are living in very negatively infused times.

The media is quick to prop up, chew up and spit out sensation or celebrity of the week.  While the powers that be are pushing the idea that hard work should not be rewarded and everything in life is fair.  But in reality - life is not fair at all.  The good guys don't always win, and the bad guys don't always lose.  So when life beats down on the people who do not have a strong sense of who they are and where they are going, what happens?  When God has been removed from everywhere he might be able to "offend" anyone, what do these people who do not know where to turn do?  Sadly we see the results all around us.

Many people are so much stronger than then give themselves credit for.  Quick to assume they can't do something, when in reality they have no idea how strong they really are until they push themselves past where they thought they "couldn't" go.  I just have one wish for everyone who is having a bad day... Don't quit.  You might not "feel" like you can do it, you might not see how now.  But if you quit, you will never reach your goal.  If you keep going, there is always hope.

One of my favorite quotes from one of my fitness heros:

"Your legs are not giving out, your head is giving out, keep going." ~ Jillian Michaels

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