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

God's Not Dead

"God's Not Dead, He's Surely Alive. He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion!!" - Newsboys

True story.... in my first year of college (yes I did actually go to college), I came home all upset and my mom asked what was the matter? I proceeded to tell her how my Biology professor had asked the class a question earlier that day..."who in the room was a Christian and believed in the story of God and or Jesus?". Not wanting to deny my faith I  raised my hand along with a few others in the class. That was when he decided it was a good idea to not only mock but also challenge us about it. He went on to further say, "If we believe in God then we have to prove his existence." So I went home understandably upset, and not wanting to be embarrassed, spent most of the way home thinking of how to proceed.

Now, don't get me wrong, I know my Bible and all that but was not nearly as vocal about my faith then as I am now, as I was just a young Greek Girl at the time. So back to when I arrived home... If you guessed that my mom was very perturbed when I told her what happened, you guessed right. She couldn't believe that a professor would think it was his place to do such a thing. Now, if you know anything about my mom let's just say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and if you know how I am with my Big Fat Greek opinion, then you can get an idea of how my mom is.   

She could not believe her ears when I told her the details of the days episode. In a swoosh she marched off to her bedroom and grabbed her trusty Bible, a legal pad and a pen. In no time she was marching back toward me and sat me down at the kitchen table where she proceeded to give me a sermon. Probably the most extensive Bible study I have ever had in my life. It was like an encyclopedia of knowledge poured out of her noggin. So there I was armed with all sorts of ammunition when I went back to school the next day. I strapped on my favorite sneakers and marched my butt into class with a notepad chockfull of notes and said (beneath a mischievous grin) something to the effect of, "well... here you go." It was great because it actually shut him up, thanks mom!

I felt so good and he actually left me alone. It was short lived though as it was not even two days later my English professor decided that the class had to watch the film "The Last Temptation of Christ", starring Willem Defoe. I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing. If you don't know anything about that movie, just image "Jesus of Nazareth" in the Red Light District. I couldn't believe this was happening again. So I went home to inform my mom of the newest chapter in the college indoctrination episode. She then did what any good Godly mother would do and made a big stink. She called the college and demanded that her daughter not watch that stupid and twisted movie. Needless to say, I did not have to watch the movie and I was able to do my report on another topic.

Now fast forward umpteen years later and low-and-behold, we have a movie hitting the theater's called, "God's Not Dead." It's about almost the same thing, a liberal professor that takes it upon himself to ridicule and belittle the faith of a student who believes in God and Jesus. Just another instance where liberal logic unloads itself in our society and how some have taken to demonizing and tearing down people of faith. Ironically Christians are known for being positive and helpful loving people, even to those who do not share our values or faith. Something these Liberal professors love to profess is how we shouldn't "impose our Christian beliefs on others", yet they do not see the hypocrisy when they think it's a good idea to impose their liberal ideology, kumbaya craziness, and global warming gobbley goop on others people's children, just sayin.

Anyway, back to the movie. I think it's so cool that this storyline is something that actually happened to me and it's now on the Big Screen for the world to see. I am so thrilled that it has had only a limited opening and has already grossed over $8million in less than 800 theaters worldwide. In fact it came in 5th overall for the weekend on box office totals in openings this past weekend.

Since my mom and step-dad stopped by on their way home from Florida we didn't get to see it on opening weekend. However, you can count on one thing... where I will be this week. I am going to wrap my hot little hands around a popcorn and CocaCola in a dark theater with my sweetie as we watch and celebrate that, "GOD IS NOT DEAD"!

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

inTWINition of murder

"inTWINition of murder" a crime novel by Michael Houbrick, inspired by true events. An excellent read!

People who have been following my music for a while have asked from time to time what ever happened to Mr. Bricks? For anyone new to my blog who has no idea who or what a "Mr. Bricks" is... Mr. Bricks was my manager until a few years ago. Mr. Bricks is not only very smart, but he is also a very funny talented guy who loves McRib Sandwiches, Diet Coke, Danica Patrick, and just so happens to have a googley eyeball. Rumor has it he owned several pairs of white skinny jeans back in the 80's the thought of which makes me want to burn the next pair I see.

So the Mr. Bricks character in my Cartoon Series "Ava The Diva" is in fact a real person. The cartoon Mr. Bricks is based on the real life Mr. Bricks's quirks and all the muckery he seems to find himself getting into which ends up keeping him too busy to get "Ava The Diva" her beloved record deal.

Now long before he knew about the Greek Girl or the word "muckery" ever made him smile. Mr. Bricks had an unimaginable tragedy happen to him and his family that would surley take away anyone's smile. Something that I can not even fathom having to go through, or would ever wish on my worst enemy, that is if I ever were to have an enemy. Mr. Bricks is an identical twin, and his twin was murdered on November 14, 2005.

The circumstances leading up to, and surrounding his death most were not known by anyone except Mr. Bricks. Knowing what I know about Mr. Bricks, his character and the incident, in my opinion the circumstances surrounding his death were at the very least a rush to judgement by several parties. Starting with a famous hotel trying to keep a scandal from affecting it's business, a security staff trying to cover the hotel's butt, and a police department ignoring facts and not digging beyond what a bumbling security staff told them had happened. All of which was deviously and diabolically orchestrated by a very sick, twisted, and manipulative woman. Who then involved multiple other parties to help her cover up her actions and in the end help her to get away with taking the life of Mr. Brick's twin brother.

Knowing all of this information, dealing with the unimaginable loss, and to add insult to injury knowing the persons who were responsible for the death of your twin are walking round scott free day after day, would most likely be enough to break any sane person... not Mr. Bricks. Instead of break him it created a burning desire to tell the story. So as much as he loved working on the career of the Greek Girl he had to spend time and focus on getting the story out of him. So "inTWINition" was born...

Finally my chance to read the story!

Since it was and is an "ongoing police investigation" Mr. Bricks chose not to write it as a true story but rather wrote a "crime novel" where the story is "based on true events". As you can probably imagine I was super excited to receive my autographed copy in the mail and could hardly wait to start reading it. Knowing him for what's going on four years now I already knew he was funny and a great writer. What I wasn't expecting was for the book to be something I was literally unable to put down. Really... I started it one morning, read it while I was waiting at an appointment for a few hours. I would have finished it that day, however I had to make a road trip which did not allow time to finish when I arrived. So I finished it the next morning. I'm not one who likes to read. I will read articles, or short stories but to just pick up a book and read it all the way through, is a rarity.

From the minute I started reading I could see the whole story in my head. It was so descriptive, and even though it deals with some heavy stuff, there are moments in there where I giggled. He managed to tell this heart wrenching story (a story in my opinion that the world needs to hear) and yet at the same time still manage to have some humor in it. It screams "Make Me Into a Movie". Throughout reading it I found myself going through all kinds of emotions, from anger, to hope, to rooting for and cheering inside when the main character catches a break. To top it all off, there is a mega twist in there that changes everything! All I know is James Patterson might have a little competition once the world finds out about "inTWINition" of murder... just sayin.

So how would a person get their hot little hands on a copy for themselves to read? That's EASY! There are several ways: Amazon: Or go to any bookstore and ask to order a copy if they don't already have one, or visit www.inTWINition.com - It's available in paperback and also as an ebook. Follow on Twitter or @inTWINition or even better visit the Facebook page, like it and share with all your friends! Happy Reading!

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

Hijacked

Punkin Aston here to ask you to help me

This is "Punkin" and I am about to flip my little lid.

If you don't know what I am talking about then it's time you were brought up to speed.  Here is what happened last year:

See what I mean?  Every single stinkin' year my mommy, Miss Ava-Aston, the so-called-self-proclaimed-doggie whisperer thinks it's a good idea to dress me up in a torture device.

What am I talking about?  It's simple really.  She thinks it's a good idea, no she thinks its a fabulous idea to ruin my dignity and embarrass me and all my doggie-siblings by putting us in ridiculous Halloween Costumes.  The worst part is, this year she is taking it one step further.

Now hear me out, I am all for a bit of fun now and again but this is just beyond torture.  Instead of just dressing us up one time for our routine march of shame, she decided to "try out" the costumes on us first.  What I don't understand is why she always thinks of me as a bug.  I am always getting dressed up to look like a stinkin' bug.  I am not a Bug or a Pug, I'm a Pekingese Dang'it!

Still not sure what I am talking about...?  Well here is the evidence:

Caught RED-HANDED buying the torture devices

See what I mean? She dressed me up to make fun of me.

For the love of God someone please make her stop!

So as you can see, it's time something is done to help me from this kind of ongoing and inhumane torture.  If you have it in your heart you will help me stop my mommy from always doing these terrible acts on us doggies.  Thank goodness my little brother "Itty Bitty" is in Heaven now at the Rainbow Bridge... at least he doesn't have to be humiliated anymore in the torture devices.  However the rest of us remaining four Aston doggies  (me), Punkin, Pookie, Bobo & Pepe we need our mommy to be stopped!

Thank you,
Punkin Aston

Business and Pleasure

Put on the glasses and bam we look like we're "working" ;D

Yeah we all know the term and sometimes actually try to make sense of the actual act of mixing business with pleasure.  Unfortunately most of the time when we say that it means we are going away on a trip or doing something that is work related and try to have fun at the same time.  Or on the other hand we go away on a trip or do something that is meant to be fun and somehow we will attempt to build in some form of work/business activity into the fun-filled event we were supposedly set out to do.

The problem most people have with this, me included, is that we tend to over do one and not the other.  We try to squeeze that little bit of business into our pleasure and vice versa and never really truly get a solid balance.  It's like that Nik Wallenda guy trying to have fun while walking across the tight rope over the Grand Canyon.  Sure it starts out as entertainment which is supposed to be fun, but it's insanely frightening.  Meanwhile he is "working" his but off to not fall off that wire.  Ironically he has those moments where he catches a glimpse of the beautiful, yet otherwise frightening world below him and somehow finds pleasure in it.  Which if anyone knows anything about this Greek Girl, me and heights don't mix so I can't see how any of that could be pleasurable.

So this week I've been mixing business with pleasure as best I can.  I was given an opportunity to head out west and spend some time on the "left-coast" (as the too cool for school hipsters like to now call it - Los Angeles).  This trip however has some strings attached, like business but of course with pleasure mixed in.  What am I talking about?  Well, I came out here to hang out with some of my friends and fellow "Politichicks" gals along with some entertainment industry folks for a few major networking events.  During all this time my focus is on how to make the most of the time I have and have it benefit my career without being too focused that I am not able to have a good time.  The good news is, since I love what I do and do what I love sometimes those lines get blurred.  So when I am doing the work side of things it ends up being pleasurable.

Heres a few examples of what I am talking about:

1.  I am able to wear flip-flops almost everywhere, except a dress one night for a "bash" of sorts.

2.  I am staying with a friend, who also happens to be the editor in Chief for the Politichicks. Slumber-Party!

3.  I went to a networking event at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley.

4.  I will be traveling to San Diego, (3 hrs away) to be on a TV show and do an in-studio interview.

5. Did I mention I had my picture taken with the Gipper? ;D

Do you see what I am talking about?  It's a mix of business and pleasure all balled up in one.  So sometimes it's hard to differentiate between the two.  I guess in a way it's a wonderful problem to have. It just means I am doing what I love and loving what I do.  I just hope the same goes for you and if not, I pray you can find a way to bring some balance into your own life.

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

True Story

This is what a Fur-kid in the midst of a nervous breakdown due to Thunderstorm looks like...

Did you know that some fur-kids turn into little gremlins during thunder storms? Neither did I.  And I thought I knew everything there was to know about fur-kids, being that I have five of them.  See when I was growing up my mom had a boarding kennel, as well as raising and showing Collies and Sheltland Sheepdogs (which looks like a Miniature Collie for anyone who doesn't know what one is).

Those who have been reading my blog a while may remember that back in the fall the Aston doggie clan grew by one when we rescued "Pepe" from the Harlem Kill shelter in NYC.  We were supposed to just be "fostering" him for the local Pekingese Rescue where one of my other fur-kids "BoBo" came from until he could find a forever home.  That was until we went there and jail-broke him from the shelter and I scooped him up in my arms. We saw how abused and scarred he was.  We could not let him go and decided to keep him.  No one in their right mind was going to put up with his biting, trust and other issues.  It wasn't his fault his previous owner was a moron and hurt him.  He needed someone patient to help him work through all his little quirks.  So WE meaning me decided the only way to keep him safe was to keep him.  Then I had to tell Mr. Aston "honey we're getting another dog".  Meanwhile who could blame him for thinking about how to put me in the trashcan along with all the five fur-kids.  Just kidding.

Since then it's been a long seven months, and at times we call even him "Pepe-Laden" if you get my drift... Most of the bad behaviors are gone, although he does slice and dice a finger or two when he's in the mood.  He has never bit me though, ever.  Just last week he even went after the neighbor because he does not like cigarettes and the neighbor was smoking while making sudden movements towards him.  Which is not the smartest thing to do especially since we told our neighbor about the situation multiple times.  "Pepe" had burns all over his little body on him when we got him, from the shape they were we suspect they was cigarette burns.

Anyhow little "Pepe" has made miraculous strides and most of the time he is a happy little mush who just wants to be loved and safe, play with his toys and sleep.  Well durning this rash of wacky weather, our area has been hit with some monster thunderstorms lately.  So picture this, I'm in my office one day doing some social media drinking a hot cup of happiness a la Dunkin's when "Pepe" decides he is going to hide from the rain and thunder noise on top of the shredder of all places.  I pull him off, once, twice, three, four... and on we went.  After about the tenth time he jumped off and decided it would be a good idea to chase me around the office biting at my feet.

I was wearing shorts and flip fops so I was rightly concerned he might actually get me, so much so that I had to plop a chair down in between us to stop him.  I then ran out of my office yelling like a little girl and shut the door.  I'm standing there on the other side of the door thinking to myself "Greek Girl what in the heck in the world are you doing?!?! - you're a grown adult and you're letting a little 14lb dog boss you around".  Meanwhile before I had ran out, "Punkin" was sitting there looking at this whole thing like "this is total Muckery".  BTW all the other four fur-kids were left on the other side of that door with "Pepe-Laden".

So I marched back in there and told him I was not having any of it... then I drugged him.  Yes - I did.  I gave him a "Composure" chew.  No not real drugs silly... I would never do that.  Composure is a natural supplement that contains the active ingredient Thiamine (Vitamin B1) and some other ingredients which promote "balanced behavior" in dogs.  As well as help to calm anxiety.  He was so unhinged I gave him a whole one, the dosage for a big dog.  Sure enough he "calmed down" and went to sleep until the storms passed.

Moral of the story... give "Pepe" a composure "before" storms come next time.  And that my friends is why Greek Girl is not afraid to drug her dog if she needs to.  Remember to get yourself some "Composure" in case your fur-kids get skitzo during a storm.  Hope you 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

Godwinks

When God winks it's like He is saying, "I have you in the palm of my hand".

When you have a dream or goal, sometimes it can seem like it's taking a long time, or like nothing is happening.  Anyone who knows anything about Greek Girl knows that I have been going after my dream and goal for a long time.  Yes, even your "Happy the Glass is Always Full Greek Girl next door" can come down with the blahs every now and again.  Happens even to the best of us.

Well this weekend I performed at an event in NJ where Governor Chris Christie was speaking.  One thing you might not know about me is that I got my start performing by doing National Anthems.  Starting with High School sports games, College and local events.  Then I got my courage up and started reaching out to Professional Sports Teams.  I got a reputation for showing up on time, singing it on key, respectful (that's without a lot of crazy ornamentation that dilutes the original melody of the song for anyone who might be wondering), and for doing it in the time they asked for, either 90 or 120 seconds.  One of the teams I developed a great relationship with was The NJ Devils Hockey Team.

Back to present day, Saturday at the event.  Someone I had not seen in over 10+ yrs. wasn't aware that I was performing.  When I started singing in his head he went "That's AVA!"  He recognized my voice.  After I was done I went back to my seat at a table in the front.  So I'm sitting there waiting for the program to begin and I see a face I recognized scooting up to our table with a Great Big smile on his mug.

He said "Do you remember me"?...  Talk about a Godwink.  One of my very favorite books is "Godwinks" by Squire Rushnell.  If you've never read it, here's my short interpretation: It illustrates through a series of unique stories from all kinds of different people in different situations and walks of life - that although at the time we might not see it, God always has us in the palm of his hands.  He is there lining up the details, arranging things, the right people, the right breaks, all of it.  He knows the end from the beginning, and when you look back on a situation it is clear that God was there all along.  Some might brush these stories off as coincidences...  but when you have an "ah ha" moment about a person or situation looking back on it, that at the time was difficult or confusing.... you have a feeling, a knowing a peace.  It was God, and all along he was there giving you little winks of encouragement, as if to say "I'm here, trust me, I have you in the palm of my hand."  If we watch for them we can spot them, it's amazing to have these moments in our lives.

After pursuing something for so long, something that I know was put in me for a reason, that seems in the natural to be taking way too long...  what happened Saturday for me was a total Godwink.  Turns out that smiling mug was the very same guy who used to book me to sing The Anthem for the NJ Devils.  To have a person from the past who has not heard me sing in over 10+ years, not have any idea Who was singing, to hear me sing and "recognize my voice" from the way way way back of the ballroom.  To be excited enough to walk all the way up to the front of the room, seek me out to tell me - for me, that was confirmation.   It was like God saying to me, "Chill out Greek Girl, I have you in the palm of my hand'.

There are times today when it can be hard sometimes "not" to be discouraged.  Things are going faster, the world is getting crazier by the day, and all too often we are bombarded with so much of the bad news that it can be hard to see the "good".  In these times, it is more important than ever that we keep on the lookout.  Remember the one who cares for us, loves us, is there with us.  Holding and guiding us, Godwinks like a little smile from heaven signaling everything will be alright.

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

This is My Story

Do what makes your heart happy!

I wanted to take a minute to share what is on my heart.  Most of my friends and fans know what Greek Girl is all about.  You know what I stand for, what my values and ideology are, and what I feel I have been put on this earth to do, and for how long I have been working towards it.

However there are people who are new to my music and message and for those people I wanted to take a minute to explain why the average person would want to help me in this endeavor, and tell you my story.

As a Christian my goal is to be a positive influence to people using the talent that God Blessed me with.  In all honesty my desire is to be a singing philanthropist.  To be able to use my voice to lift people up and to give to those in all kinds of situations who are in need.  There are several organizations I am passionate about helping which are linked to my website.  I am married to a Veteran, and my mom works for the Purple Heart helping Veterans.  I have given free concerts to all kinds of people including Veterans, and given away literally thousands of CD's to our Veterans serving over seas, to kids, sick kids and people.  Because that is what is in my heart to do.

Ever since I was a little kid, from the time I started to talk, I have been getting lost in music.  I was like a little Tina Turner with the hairbrush in the mirror giving concerts in my bedroom, writing songs in my journal.

However when I was growing up people were not going on youtube and then the Ellen Degeneres show at 7 years old getting record deals. So I kept on singing, practicing and honing my skills by recording when I could, writing and singing anywhere and everywhere I could.  I have sang everywhere you can possibly imagine, from nursing homes, to funerals, to weddings, to National Anthems starting at local high school sports games, AA baseball games, College and on up to for Professional Sports Teams all over the country.

When I was growing up - when people listened to music all they cared about was when they heard a song was if it made them feel something.  Did the singer invoke emotions?  That was it.  If it makes you feel something you like it.  If not, you don't... simple right?

Then something weird happened in the music industry...  One day I woke up at 28 years old and I was "too old".  Huh?  Britney Spears came on the scene and followed by American Idol with it's 28 year old age limit and although it had been creeping in for years before - everyone in the industry from potential producers, to managers and anyone who could open up any kind of door... All they were concerned about was the number.

Before they ever heard me sing, and even after they heard something and liked it, it all came down to the million dollar question - "so how Old are you?"...  Silly I concur, but once they hear the number - it changes the entire conversation.  Ridiculous... what are women supposed to do after the age of 28? Jump off a bridge?   It seemed inconceivable to me that anyone would think anyone, a woman specifically is supposed to give up on their dreams and goals after a certain age because they are considered "Not Valuable or not Talented or Marketable".

So I did what any stubborn Greek Girl with a fire and a dream in her gut would do - I stuffed cotton balls in my ears and ran around singing... "La la la la la I can't hear you". I continued to pursue my dream, regardless of what the gatekeepers told me.

So I started to just let people think what they want, I just avoided the topic.  I am also an actor which is about "pretending".  You can be young and play old or old and play young.

I did even sneak into an American Idol audition one time with a fake id only to be pulled aside after I sang by the casting director and told: "Honey you have a gorgeous voice, keep on singing and do not ever stop. However you are never going to be picked by one of these shows... This is TV we have to start in one place and show an arch to the top.  You are way too polished".  My heart sank on the verge of tears.  So I picked myself up by my bootstraps and pressed on.

I still audition for the ones that do not have an "age limit", even though I know that they have already made up their mind about me before I have ever opened my mouth to sing based to the answer to question #2 on the application - my age.  I go because I think maybe just maybe this one time they will put talent ahead of a sad shocking story.  It also does not help that I have a website with a large following on social media, so they google me and see all this stuff, and think I do not need any "help".

I don't have a sad shocking story... the most shocking thing about me is how long I have been working toward my dream without once ever considering giving up.

So... what is a girl with morals and values to do?  I keep going.  I keep making music, when and as I can and putting it out to you guys.  I am not complaining by any means - please do not get me wrong. I chose to follow my dream and to not give up after almost everyone says it is not going to happen, if it were it would have happened by now.

Because I believe that if you have a dream - if you have a purpose, if you know like you know like you know that you were put on this earth to do something, that if you Never Give up, you Can achieve it. Whether it is to lose weight, to be an astronaut, whatever it is... You can do it.

So... how does this tie into this contest you might be wondering?  Well... making the music is not the only thing that takes resources; it is also putting it out to the masses.  There is no way an independent artist such as myself can possibly compete with the resources of a Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Rihanna or any of the other artists who are on labels.

Winning the $100,000 in the Veewallvocals Contest, will enable me the chance to for once in my life to be able to put my music and message out to the masses.  To be evaluated for my art and talent, not for the day I was born.

No one can control what opportunities they have had or not had in their life.  Just because I have not yet had the legitimate proper "opportunity" does not mean I am not talented.  It just means it is not my time yet.  I know that God did not put music into me for no reason.

Winning, will give me the chance that the Mainstream Industry will not give me: 1. Because I am a Conservative 2. Because I do not have Pink hair and a Sad Shocking story 3. Because I am not 15 years old.

Talent is what matters, not age.  Age is irrelevant.  You can package a rock to sell if you need to, anything can be "packaged" and it is not like there is something wrong with my package anyhow. However the music industry has a nasty little habit of putting the age, "package and sad shocking story" before talent.

If you are tired of seeing trash everywhere you look, on TV, on the radio, in magazines... If you are not happy about the new season the Kardashain's, and wonder as I do when and why it became cool to sing in your underpants for guys or girls.  Society is manipulated by Pop Culture.  It has been going on for years.  If you desire to see a change in the moral fabric of our society, then there needs to be people in the Mainstream pop culture who actually have decent morals and values.  Actor goes to rehab, great give them another movie or TV role, singer beats his girlfriend - awesome lets give him another Grammy.  Better yet lets buy more of his singer girlfriend’s records after she goes back to him... Someone please stop the insanity.

So If you would like to see someone who has a dream in their heart - who has morals and values and does not sing in their underware to finally after 25 years of banging on doors get an opportunity. Then I am asking you to please join me in voting in the veewall contest.

It is Simple, Easy and Free.

1. Visit Veewall.com & register.
2. Confirm Registration via email
3. Vote Once Daily Through 4/29.

Ava Aston "I Carry You With Me" is up for voting now:

http://www.veewall.com/vocals/video/avaaston

Thank you for your support helping to get my music & message out to the masses.

Blessings, Love & Music~
Ava xox

P/S: Greek Girl doesn't usually do "voting" contests, but hey for 100K this girl has got to try!

You Decide

So, which do you think is healthier?

So if things weren't bad enough that I had to skip my work out for almost 3 days but then I  found myself debating with my husband over which was more healthy, McDonald's or Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  I know what you are thinking... and no I did not hit my head, not this week at least.   But I did break down and yes in case you were wondering, it was Yummo.

Let me set the stage for you (this was an actual conversation).  We were out running errands and of course the Martha Stewart in me had to change things up in our house.  Because truth be told, I have a little OCD and nothing bugs me more than my house being out of order, or just blah.  I can't be creative when it is, and once I get too much HGTV into my Greek noggin, the "I have to paint this room or change that rug" urge kicks into high gear.  So, we were out at Home Goods (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a TJ Maxx to the 10th power only with stuff for your home).  It just so happens that Home Good's is in a plaza that is home to a brand spanking new McDonald's which sits across the parking lot from a Five Guys.  There we were, smack-dab in the middle of both of them and of course my husband who doesn't work out for months and still has a 6 pack says to me...

Keith
"Oh man, can you smell that? Those McDonald's french fries smell so good."

Me
Okay well, I'll make you a deal.

Keith
Oh...?

Me
"Yeah.  How about we get McDonald's for dinner and you stay out and help me pick out the paint, rug and new office chairs."

Keith
(Pointing)
"Okay.  But there is Five Guy's over there."

Me
"What?? Five Guys? Are you serious?"

Keith
"Yeah.  Think about it.  They are healthier."

Me
"How do you figure?"

Keith
"They have to be.  They cook all their burgers made to order.
They don't over process their food like McDonald's."

Me
"You think?  Hmm.  I wonder if they really are.  Maybe you're right.
Let's go there instead."

Keith
"For real?  You know you can't order a turkey burger there and they
don't have salads right?  Cuz I don't want to go in there and have you
ask for one Go Greek on me and then decide to go to McDonald's instead."

Me
"No, I know.  You are probably right anyway.  They probably are healthier.  Should we drive the car over or walk?  Probably walk."

Keith
"Why?"

Me
"Well, this way at least we can somewhat earn that burger."

No, that is not me eating a french fry at Five Guys. No way, I would never do that. I was at home working out when this photo was supposedly taken. ;D

Then we both strolled across the lot and past the golden arches right into Five Guys Burger's and Fries.  I felt like I was doing something so wrong but it kind of felt good.  Before I knew it I had actually ordered a cheeseburger with extra lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion.  We both shared some fries and a Coke.  No, not a Diet Coke either.  You know what the best part was?  I didn't even spontaneously combust, and I actually enjoyed it.  Which made me totally forget the question of which one was better or worse for you.  In the end they both were about the same and equal to some sort of junk food.  But who cares since I got to do it with my favorite person in the whole wide world.  Besides, like they say - everything in moderation.

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