Hello Spring

If you live in a part of the country where old man winter has over stayed his welcome, and you're anything like me you are probably long over winter by now. I'm so over it, in fact I would actually love to get my hands on that groundhog.

I know my complaining about winter taking too long to get on out of dodge is nothing new, but seriously this winter was taking this whole "out like a lion" thing a little bit too far. Us folks on the east coast had the pleasure of being bombarded by not one, not two, not three, but FOUR Nor’easter’s in a row this year. Which does not make for a happy Greek Girl if you know what I
mean.

So instead of working on learning the new music a colleague sent me to learn for a new project we're working on like I had planned to do. The Mr. and I spent nearly the entire month of March cleaning up the mess that one of those lovely Nor’easter’s left behind. We are thankful it was not worse, but it did leave a big impact nonetheless and loads of fun and follies for us to deal with.

It all started on March seventh, everything was pretty much shut down due to the impending storm. The Mr. was off from work and so we decided to go play in the snow. We put our snow gear on and went for a long walk in the afternoon. No big deal, it was beautiful, we took some photos and came back inside to get some lunch. We sat down turned on the news to see all the power outages across the northeast. Then it happened, we heard a "boom" and then the TV went dead, and all the power went off.

The Mr. & I playing in the snow before the muckery began.

I looked out my window and a branch had taken out the transformer on the pole by our house.  This transformer just so happened to supply power to our entire street. So the next thing you know all our neighbors are outside talking to each other asking if everyone has power or not. So then the Mr. decided we best go get a generator just in case the storm turns out to be as bad as the weather channel had predicted. Good thing he did. We jumped in the Jeep and arrived at Lowe's just in time.

 He literally got the last of the two generators they had in stock. He got it just as two guys walked up wanting to buy two. Luckily he already had one of them on his cart, so we got it. So we got home, and after about an hour of the Mr. doing a bunch of rigging with a flashlight, extension cords from the major appliances all over the house... voila we had power. Archaic as it was, it was power all the same.  It was dark by then and the furkids (three dogs and two cats) were all looking at us like the world was ending.

So then we settled in to have dinner and hunker down for the night. I was starving by this time and wanted to eat. The Mr. on the other hand thought he should go snowplow the driveway instead. I was too hungry to wait for that to be over, in fact I was getting a bit on the "hangry" side, so I insisted that we eat first, and then he could go clear the driveway. There is a lesson to be learned here... men always listen to your woman.

So we got dinner ready, sat down to eat listening to SiriusXM on my phone when all of the sudden we hear another boom coming from the other end of the house. Only this time is it so loud it shakes the entire house. I'm thinking, "Oh boy this doesn't sound good". We went outside to find his Jeep buried underneath a gigantic more than fifty-year-old tree. Had he not given in and let me eat dinner before he went outside, he could have been in that spot and not the car. See he had planned to move the Jeep and that is where he would have started clearing the driveway, ov vey!

Thankfully he listened to me and it was the Jeep under that tree and not him. Then came the four days without power, and seven days without Internet and TV. Then the glorious task of dealing with the cleanup of the mess the storm made. See this tree that fell, it was in a bundle of four trees. So when the one went, it caused the entire bundle to be compromised. It left two of the remaining three leaning so far out to the side they were almost sideways being held up only by another tree.

 

So we had to get a bunch of tree people to come in to estimate the cost to remove them. Along with figuring out with the insurance who was going to pay to get the tree off of the car so the adjuster could come survey the damage. Who knew if a tree falls on your car the auto insurance does not pay to remove the tree. See, you really do learn something new every day, even in a Nor’easter.

After a few days we worked it out and found the Jeep had in fact been killed that night. Then came the fun task of replacing it. So we immediately got on cars.com and started running all over the Tri-State NY/NJ/CT area to find another certified used Jeep with all the stuff he had on his with low miles, yes, good times for sure. Not really because anyone who knows me knows I would rather stick needles in my eyes than go car shopping. Who also knew that in NYS when a car is deemed a total loss you only get five days of rental reimbursement. Again, more learning going on for the noggin here in this situation.

Jeep murdered by Winter Storm Quinn
and replacement Jeep. Thank you cars.com

Then came the wrecking crew we hired to remove the remaining trees that were in danger of hitting the house. See after years of trees falling every time a hurricane or major storm comes along it was time to just get them out of the way. So the same day we picked up the replacement Jeep, we had a crew here taking trees out like nobody's business, I bet they could even give Paul Bunyan a run for his money.

It worked out in the end but by now, you can imagine I was and am ready for spring. Heck I'd be happy to even skip spring and move straight to summer. I will not complain about having to have the air conditioner on all the time. I will not complain about how hot it is. I will instead savor drinking iced cups of happiness all dang day long, and enjoy my flip-flops as long as Mother Nature will allow summer to stick around.

Why does it always seem like summer goes faster than winter does?

Hope you enjoy your day not matter what the weather is.

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

Beachbody

It's that time again. The official start to summer is just day's away, time to get buff for the beach. Time to break out the Bikini, skinny jeans, tank tops and all the fun clothes made for people with the body of a Greek god or goddess. For some this is what comes to mind when they hear the word "beachbody".

I would like to put a different idea into people's noggins. Yes "beachbody" is a word often associated with the things I mentioned above. However, it is also a company that helps people literally transform their lives for the better. (No this is not a paid review). I just know that this time of year can be stressful with unrealistic images bombarding people on a daily basis. It puts unnecessary pressure on people to be fitter, and it can be confusing to sort through all the information and programs available out there. Many people have injuries that have made physical activity difficult if not impossible sometimes. So, I would like to offer a little insight into my experience as a beachbody customer since 2002.  

It all started with Slim in 6 with Debbie Seibers, a program put out by Beachbody. I've always been active and loved exercise. At the time I had been working out with Tae Bo by Billy Blanks for about a year and I wanted to try something new. So I ordered it and loved it. Then I discovered Tony Horton and the original P90, oh what fun that was.

I have always been fascinated by the fact that people who exercise and eat right look so young. Tony Horton at the time was about forty-four and he looked no where near it. I was thinking wow if this guy looks so young and healthy this program is definitely something I want to try. To this day he still looks nowhere at all near his age, and like one of my other fitness heroes Jack LaLanne, he has continued to defy the norm, giving a new face to what the human body can and should be at a particular age.

Anyway without going off into a novel of my fitness journey over the last fifteen years, the point is that there are always options. Since that time, Beachbody has produced countless programs for nearly all fitness levels. Almost every program has modification options, which makes "excuses" for not putting your health first obsolete.   

I have many fitness heroes, some not even affiliated with Beachbody. I love Jillian Michaels, Jackie Warner, and I also really like the Firm fitness programs. Not every body is the same and even the same body will not always need or like or even be capable of doing the same program forever. Which is why it is important to always stay in the game no matter what is going on with your body. It's not about getting a ripped hard physique (although I'm guessing everyone would like that). It's about being the best possible you that you can be. To get and stay healthy and strong so you can enjoy life to the fullest. 

Injuries happen to the best of us. Slips, falls, work, overuse injuries, accidents, you name it. For me it was two close dated car accidents. People with herniated disks simply should not jump, period. So that takes things like running and plyometrics training off the table. Does that mean you can't exercise? No, it simply means you modify your workout. So for example; if you're doing a workout program like say 21-Day Fix (which is not an extreme program by any means) but there are jumping jacks, etc., what do you do? You modify the jacks, by doing step jacks instead. Almost every program will have a modifier doing the workout so you can see exactly what options are available if you are not able to jump or do the advanced version of a particular move.

There are so many options, walking, yoga, pilates, one workout program I particularly love, love, love, (did I say love) is Piyo created by Chalene Johnson. Piyo combines yoga, and pilates, and gets your heart rate up like crazy. It sculpts, and stretches your body and you feel like a million bucks after a workout. The best part is no jumps, no weights, so it is fantastic when traveling. Which by the way, is a major excuse people use for skipping workouts.

The thing is you can make excuses or you can make results. The choice is up to you. There are super short workouts, even as short as twenty minutes. Everyone has twenty minutes. Endorphins really are God's medicine. Exercise is good for your mood, and really should be something you do every single day, just like brushing your teeth.

So what are you waiting for? Get to that phone, computer, or iPad, and find out what you      like and get started on that beachbody ;o) or shall I say healthy body. One that will carry you into your golden years if you treat it right. Remember the saying... use it or lose it. Happy working out!   

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

Summer Fun

Okay so since Ferris Bueller, I mean Obama is out playing golf while Iraq is burning, and since I don't want to get audited by the IRS, and my Veteran husband can't get a doctor's appointment at the VA for another 6 months I figured I would focus on what I can do to "enjoy" this summer.

Now if you are like me and the rest of those living up here in the Northeast, you may have not noticed that summer has officially kicked off.  I literally didn't even realize it until I heard it on the news.  Well, I obviously didn't get the memo and since my flip-flops have barely seen the light of day since my trip to see family in Florida for Christmas, it was a bit of a shocker.  So I'm finally getting geared up for my Top-10 things I am looking forward to doing this summer.

10. Have dinner at the 76 house in Tappan NY with a couple of good friends.  Legend claims it is the oldest tavern in the US.  Just for those who are wondering... it is one of the places George Washington met and planned his strategy during the Revolutionary War.

9. Find a Jersey Beach to actually go to.  Yes I have lived here most my entire life and no I have never been to the Jersey Shore.  So this summer that too will change.  Oh and I will of course have a iced-cup-o-happinss a-la Dunkin Donut's in my clutches.

8. Now, this one is a stretch considering when I go outside I break out from poison ivy.  But I would love to actually go for a proper hike through Harriman State Park here in NY. Don't worry, I will make sure to bring some Twinkies just in case I run into a bear on the trail.

7. Then I want to take a guided tour of the Bannerman Castle aka "the Crumbling Castle on the Hudson River".  It is something I have wanted to do for a long time.  I love to explore and this just seems to be such a cool thing to see before it is completely gone.

6. Take a day-trip with my favorite person in the whole world and visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  No, I have never been.  Since I am the daughter of an immigrant this is a very important trip to me.  Then finish the day off off at the Southstreet Seaport or Little Italy in NYC eating junk food.  (Hey Stan Appling, I can hear you snickering).

5.  Jingle-Jingle-Jingle!  That's the sound of the slot machines I love to play.  Now, I don't do it often and I only do it for fun.  But when I do it I make sure to play it safe.  So, I will be headed to either Yonker's Raceway, Monticello or maybe even Foxwoods.  I am not sure but it will be fun... I guarantee it.

4. Finish my book. No... not summer reading, but summer writing.  What?  You didn't know I am writing a book?  That's right.  I am working on a 40 Day Inspirational Devotional that will go along with "Operation Mustard Seed" the crowdfunding campaign done for my new music, which I am currently working on.

3.  That brings me to the next thing.  Get in the studio.  Yep, this Greek Girl has been working on a whole bunch of songs.  Now, it's getting close to that time.  Time to make some tracks.  So that is one main thing to do... Get back in the studio ASAP.

2. I fully support the 2nd Amendment.  So that means I want to finally go to Gander Mountain and buy me that 12-gauage Mossberg 500A Tactical shotgun and lay down some lead.  No, not at animals of course, but I am not opposed to a little target practice (just in case I ever have to defend myself or my furkids).

1. Take a special road trip.  I love road trips and nothing beats going to a city or town you haven't been to in a long time or someplace new.  In the past I've gone to Niagara, DC, Philly, Outer Banks and others.  This year it will be either Boston or Historic Williamsburg. Of course if time permits we might make it to both...  We shall see.

Either way, no matter what I do this summer I am going to make sure to have fun, lots of it.  Oh and of course I will be wearing my flip-flops and keeping cool with my Iced Cups of Happiness a la Dunkins.  So what are you doing this summer?  Hope you have fun and keep it safe and stay cool!

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

Going For The Gold

Are you going for the gold....?

After much hullabaloo it seems the official start of the Olympics is finally "almost" upon us.  No one could be more excited then the Greek Blonde girl, I mean competition runs in my blood.  I'm GREEK, Hello we invented the Olympics.

Although I never really realized it until I was an adult that probably explains my love for all things athletic, and my love for sneakers of course.  I've always been super competitive, love the thrill of sports, and have always had the eye of the tiger when it comes to pushing myself past imaginary physical limits set in my mind.  The Olympics are so exciting for me, because you can literally see the incredible things the human body can do when a person sets his or her mind and most importantly their "will" to accomplish something.

All the way back from the original Olympic games in Athens, to Jesse Owens reigning at the top in Berlin in 1936, to the unbelievable Ethiopian Marathon runner who ran barefoot in 1960 in Rome, to the USA Basketball Dream Team in Barcelona in 1992, all the way up to Michael Phelps in 2004... the Summer Olympics are sure to produce moments that will live on forever.

It leads me to wonder though.  Sure athletes spend an entire lifetime working and training in order to go for the gold.  But what are we as everyday people working and striving towards?  Are we going for the gold, or are we just skating by?  I ask this only because it seems like in our society today many people are glorifying many things that I would not consider to be gold.

We as a society glorify mediocre pop stars, actors, movies full of negative themes, sensor almost everything to make sure it does not "offend" any one race, religion, or sexual orientation.  We have taken God out of our workplace, schools, and anyplace else it might be able to "offend" anyone.  It is clear to see the disastrous results doing so has done to our character.

Exactly what are we telling future generations and the Olympians of tomorrow?  What kind of message does it send?  Hard work?... Why work when you can have everything Now?  Everyone gets a prize for "participation".  There are no "losers" in life, right? Reality shows can make you famous for literally any reason at all except for actually having any talent whatsoever, and that hard work isn't necessary.  Just have a sad backstory, and dress as sexy as humanly possible no matter how young you are, and you can have and get whatever you want.  People, I gotta tell you, there are days anymore when I seriously want to grab my fur~babies and hide under the blankets.  The world is getting crazier and crazier by the day.

Personally I feel it's time for a cultural revolution.  I long for the days when people were actually going for the gold each and every day in their lives.  When people did the right thing even when no one was looking.  When people helped and lifted each other up regardless if there were a "benefit" in doing so.

With that being said, I'd like offer a challenge to my blog reader's.  To consider the coming Olympics a chance to take a stand against mediocrity.  Be a reminder to people around you that anything worth having takes hard work, that hard work is and should be rewarded.  That not everything in life is or should be instant.  To go for the gold each and every single day in our own lives.  To be the light and the difference in someone else's life, to do the right thing, and for goodness sake... keep your dang clothes on! ;)

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :) xox
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

Gone But Not Forgotten

Honor, Pride, Respect... Remembrance

Most of my regular blog readers come here to read the random thoughts bouncing around the Greek Girl's noggin & have a laugh or hopefully two.  Today however is not about me or any of my usual muckery.

It's Memorial Day, some think of it as the official kickoff to Summer.  For countless American Heros and their families, it is about something much more important.  As you celebrate a day off and spend time with you friends and family, my wish is simple one.  Pause to think of the men and women who for generations have stood up and paid the ultimate price in order to provide the freedom we enjoy today.

Life is busy, people are busy, and days go by so fast it is hard to imagine that just a few decades ago life was much slower, much more simple.  People meant so much more than a line item in a twitter feed.  A smile, a kind word, a simple "Thank You for Your Service" to a random stranger who you notice happens to be a veteran.  Something that takes just a few seconds can mean so much to a veteran and or the loved ones of Veterans who are no longer with us today.

Veterans are important to me not only because I am married to one, or because my mom works as a Veterans Advocate, but because they are the backbone of our country. They deserve our respect, they deserve to be honored.  So as you enjoy your time off, amid the fun, sun, cooking and sales, take a moment to think of those who are no longer with us who paid the ultimate sacrifice.  Every day that I live my life free and able to pursue whatever my little Greek heart desires, I Carry With Me, a little piece of  the men & women who died so I can live free.

"A hero is one who has given his or her life to something bigger than one's self." - Joseph Campbell

Blessings, Love & Music ~

Ava :) xox