Good Bye 2014 and Flowers

It is the last hour of the last day of 2014.  I've had a very hard time keeping up with these two blogs and in fact would have had trouble keeping up with one.

I completely failed to learn Greek in the last three months.  This is what's kept me from writing.  I have been studying at least a half hour a day the last three months and have learned some, but I did not study the 90 minutes to two hours a day and most importantly I did not practice live with someone.

The need is still there.  I still need to learn Greek, and fast.  I do have other responsibilities and goals, so now what I'm going to do is let this blog stop right here.  I will no longer post on this blog at all.  I will make any posts on Illini6 only.  I will push up my Greek studies to a minimum of one hour a day and I must find someone to practice with at least once a week.  I can't do anything until that's done.

Goals for 2015 include getting a different job, loosing 20 lbs (in order to keep healthy and in my current size pants), enrolling in grad school and finishing the "Hate to Say I Told You So" story on Illini6.  I'm not yet sure how these goals will all fit together, but those are what I have.

We had a few exciting things happen in 2014.

• EHL turned 18 and got her first tattoo.
• We went to our first Brazilian steak house
• EHL graduated from high school and started college.
• SEL went to two week Girl Scout camp for high ropes
• SEL applied for and made it into Extension Arts
• SEL helped me take CML back to school in Boston and 
• got to see Boston for the first time
• saw the ocean for the first time
• flew in a plane for the first time
• CML started her final year of college as an RA
• CML started playing Rugby
• I played my first Rugby game with GJL
• We saw the All Blacks vs USA Eagles in Soldier Field
• MAL and I went to a Wolves game
• MAL continued to get awards at work
• MAL traveled to many foreign countries:  UK, Italy, and Kansas
• CML saw her first ballet
• We all visited a pet shelter to view the dogs
• GAK family visited from AZ for Christmas

Καλό Μηνά Christmas Season

Everybody is back at school.  We all had a lovely week of visiting for Thanksgiving.  We went to Oak Lawn on the day itself, and Chicago on Saturday for brunch.

On Wednesday we went down to Da Loop to look at lights and take pictures for our Christmas card.  I don't know if we got any that were good enough, but we'll try to make do.

Tuesday was the Mrs.'s 50th and she got a lot of nice greetings.  She got some lovely cards, a nice dinner at Morgan's, a fruit bouquet, a cupcake cake, a promise of cleaning ladies, and tickets to a Wolves game in December.

I grew a mustache for November, but as far as I can tell no one donated money in my name.  I'm going to keep it until the end of the week.  I'm still hoping for it to really come in.

I'm afraid I'm not nearly as far along in my Greek as I had hoped to be.  I think a lot of that has to do with my not having found a daily language partner.  What I need (what is recommended) is someone who will treat me like a parent treats a two year old.  We all know two year olds who talk but no one can understand them besides their parents.  Instead of correcting a child who calls a theater a, "peuter" they say, "Yes, we can go to the theater and see Frozen again" (turns out that child thought that movie screens were giant computer monitors and was trying to say "computer" but we knew what she meant).

I am much further along than I've ever been, and I still have a month.  I'm going to have to redouble my efforts, and the Mrs has promised to help (though her patience wears thin quickly).

Still Studying

I'm still studying Greek frantically.  I haven't yet gotten a language partner, but every day I do my studying and I'm getting better inch by inch.

Somebody please reassure me that this is not - knowledge that must not be known.

Travel, Goal and Answer!

MAL went to Europe last week.  Don't worry, she didn't go by boat.

Still from HPLHS's "Call of Cthulhu" off the site: Oh No Cthulhu

The answer to the last post is the fourth pen.  Lovecraft chose the most plain.  I guess he figured the more men know the worse it would be, and the more you see the worse off you are.

Anywho, I've been doing fairly well with my Greek studies.  I asked MAL how I was doing and if she noticed a difference between my efforts before and my efforts now.  She hadn't even noticed earlier efforts (except of course, when I was actually taking classes).

I've even gotten myself a Greek pen pal and a Greek facebook friend who want to help.

One Goal - Eνα Υκολ!

Clear the Decks!

I have decided that I have but one goal this year.  There is one thing I must do and in order to do it I must forsake all other goals.  There really is no other way around it.  The only way I can make the time is to drop every other goal and mostly the other things I'm doing.

Writing will have to take a back seat.

I have to keep up my exercise program because of health needs, but it is really not that time consuming and in a way it helps.  The exercise program is 90 days and I'm going to make my One Goal - Ενα Υκολ for 90 days.

In the past I've done NaNoWriMo in November.  This requires me to write for two hours a day, every day in November.  I'm going to take that (and I know I can do it because I have) and spend two hours everyday in the last three months of this year only speaking/writing Greek.

I've got a lot to do so I'd better get steaming!

Kαλό Μήνα - Goals Bad, Pens Good

Baoer courtesy of Amazon.com

I'm not doing well with my goals at all.  I've been terribly busy and overwhelmed by events.

To recap, my goals are to learn Greek and to get my NaNoWriMo novel published.  I have done nothing with my novel, The Hidden Temple to the Lost Gods.

I have been practicing my Greek, but nothing formal.

On the plus side, everybody is healthy.

I finally committed and bought ink for the fountain pen I bought at Christmas time.  I've been using my Lamy Al-Star, but that takes cartridges.  I've been wanting to try samples of bottled ink.  I got a six pack sampler of bright blue from Goulet Pens and one called 54th Massachusetts.  The ink is very nice and they came with a lovely handwritten note from the staff.

We are going to be very busy this month.  CHL and EHL will be starting school on the same day in Boston and Chicago (two cities that need no state to introduce them).  SEL is starting school the very same week.  It is going to be a fantastic juggling trick.  I'll let you know how it goes.

June 14 Review

Here's a quick recap of what's been happening since last post.

CML has been home and taking two classes in UIC so that she can graduate BU at the end of next year.

SEL, CML and I went with the CS troop to downtown Chicago on a Chocolate Tour that was very yummy.

SEL finished 7th grade.

Last week for three days MAL took CML and SEL downtown.  While MAL was at a work conference the children had the run of the Magnificent Mile.

As far as my goals.  I've been studying my Greek, but making little progress.  I have not had a lick of time to work on my book.

I'm going to try to at least make this sort of post at least once a week here, just to keep up to date.

Respectful Memorial Day

I don't want to wish a, "happy" Memorial Day since it is intended to be a day of respect, remembrance and honor for those fallen in our nation's defense as members of the armed forces.

It's been a a long time since I've posted here, and even longer since I've posted my goal progress or family matters.

CML is home from Boston.  EHL graduated from High School.  I mention these in chronological order.

MAL and I flew to Boston and drove back with our eldest on the weekend of the 10th.  It was fairly uneventful except that we had to stay overnight in her dorm and discovered a mattress that is even more painful than our own.  As an aside, MAL and I went on a sort of date to see The Amazing Spiderman 2 (least of several evils) and a dinner at the Bull and Finch (the "Cheers") pub. CML has been working there as a receptionist.

EHL graduated last weekend.  It was a grand affair in the Sears Center Arena in Hoffman Estates. Brazil Express Churrasco Grill in Schaumburg.  It was a small place in a strip mall but very good, and the service was excellent.  I would recommend it as just as good as Fogo de Chao in Chicago.  The Brazil Express will tell you it's cheaper, but I don't think by much.  Apparently now the restaurants of choice for Mundelein birthdays and events are Brazilian steakhouses.  I don't think we will completely abandon our old standbys of Bob Chin's Crab House or Tsukasa in Vernon Hills.
 Afterwards we had dinner at

As far as goals go, I've been behind in my writing because of lack of time.  It is a real lack of time and not a lack of priorities as I do not have enough actual, real time to do everything my family needs, exercise, work and get more than about 4 hours of sleep a night.  I'm really not sure how I'm going to get everything done, but something is going to have to suffer.  It is just a matter of what and how badly.

I have been studying Greek nearly every day, but it's not the kind of study that will get me forward very quickly.  I'm going to have to bite the bullet here and make some very big sacrifices as this is absolutely the highest priority.

Goal, Finally!

On the first of February this year I promised I would share my 2014 goals with you here.  I said they would be leaner and meaner, then I never came back and told you what they would be.

I'm going to rectify that right now.  I've decided that I have two goals this year.  The first is a writing goal and is being covered on Illini6.  I will get my latest novel, Hidden Temple to the Lost Gods published.

My only other goal will be to learn Greek.  I have to make all my leisure thoughts (I have no real leisure time) revolve around this and my writing goal.  This has to be my priority.

I have other things I want to get done; I have other things I have to get done; but these are my only two goals this year.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Recorded / Reported and Time Restricted.

• Specific:  I will be at the ILR Level 3 (Professional Working Proficiency – Can discuss a variety of topics with ease and almost completely understand what others are saying) in Modern Greek.
• Measurable:  I will take a test (TBD) and pass
• Achievable:  I can do this, other people have.  In fact I've being trying to follow the advice of several advocates who say you can become fluent in three months.
• Recorded / Reported:  That's one of the reasons for the blog.
• Time Restricted:  By the end of 2014.

One of the things that concerns me is I find it difficult to imagine it.  I can't really picture what it would be like to be fluent in any other language.  Maybe that's exactly the thing that is hanging me up.  Maybe whatever I picture is not my idea of fluent, so I fail even as I'm getting closer.

I feel if I make it a game I'll do better also.  I always feel like it's a test, a challenge, something to overcome, a destination to reach through a painful journey.  I need to learn to enjoy the journey.

This goal has been simmering for far too long.  I think it is a good indication of how crazy this year has been so far, that I haven't even been able to post my goal yet.  This is not my first time doing this, but this has been the least set in my mind.  I'm losing patients with myself.

Happy Oxi Day!

Today is Oxi Day.  It is the anniversary of the day in 1940 when the Greek Prime Minister told the Italian Ambassador that they would not surrender (oxi means no) and allow Italy to occupy Greece.

It was gutsy and defiant.  The Greeks were not the powerhouse the Italians were at the time.  What ended up happening was Greece fought the best they could and eventually Hitler had to send in German troops to help the Italians.  Greece was eventually conquered, but it was long and very costly for both the Axis countries.  Some even credit it with delaying the German invasion of the Soviet Union until so late in the year that they ended up fighting in winter and losing badly.

You may see it spelled "Ohi" or "Ochi" but I don't like either of those.  The Greek letter x is pronounced like you're trying to pronounce H while clearing your throat.  I would say the closest way to spell it in English is oh-khee.

If you see this before you see any of my in-laws, my kids or any Greek person you know, remember to wish them Happy Oxi Day!

Welcome Back - Grand Re-Opening

I've decided something.  I need to make Illini6 my "Professional" blog.  I need to make that a website I can point strangers to and show off my writing work.  That needs to be the showcase of my writing brand with stories, essays, world building, and excerpt of finished works.  I will put professional goals and plans up there, but not personal ones.

I'm going to be using this blog more extensively and focused on personal as well as family matters.  Obviously I don't have to regurgitate things that are already on the web through facebook etc. but I can put goals, feelings, family events and such.

One thing I won't be doing here is using the flower code names anymore.  That was too cumbersome and kept me from posting more.  I'll be using first names and initials to keep the full and real names off the web as much as I can.

As part of re-opening I'm going to restate my personal goals here (I'll be tracking them here from now on).

By the end of the year I will:

1. Learn Greek - be able to hold a conversation in Greek
2. Guide the Aptakisic District Commissioner staff in achieving a Gold level on the Journey to Excellence program
3. Get a New Job
4. Go on Quarterly Dates

Also, not related to goals, I am going to be going to Tanzania as a volunteer mentor from work.  I'm going to hold off on some of the details for now, but I will be helping the technicians in a regional blood diagnostics lab to learn to use the computer.

Christina just successfully completed LTC for ROTC and we are very proud of her.  I'm sure most of you have seen her pictures on her facebook page / wall / thingie.

Summer Ending Update

Seeing as it is mid September and the summer is almost technically over (with the Autumnal Equinox) I figured I really ought to run down everything that happened this summer:

JUNE
- Star graduated from 8th grade at Santa Maria del Popolo. *Orchid played bells for the ceremony
*Star won the President's Award (from the President of the US). There were only two students who won.
*Star read the Reading at mass
- Star and I went to Washington D.C. for her 8th grade trip. She was one of four students who laid a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
- Star went to summer school for her state required Health class (she was the star pupil)
- Star's 14th birthday!

JULY
- Star, Orchid, Tulip and I got passes for our park district pool and we tried to go as often as we could
- Orchid got contact lenses (she's almost as blind as her sister Star).
- The Owasippe Trip

AUGUST
- A new flower blooms! On 4 August 2008 my brother, Ginger and his wife Holly added a new bud to accompany Lilac and Geranium. Let's call him PETUNIA!
- We added another flower, sort of, by marriage. Marigold married Apple Blossom. We never thought we'd see the day when Marigold got married. We all had a blast.

- Star
*Started High School (gasp)! She loves her teachers and classes
*Started Volleyball at school. She's on the Frosh B team (takes after her old man on the B team), but she has Volleyball as a specific gym class so maybe next year she'll move up.
*Isn't playing clarinet anymore. She had a good run there, from 4th to 8th grade.

- Orchid
*Started 7th grade. Just one more year to go. She's doing very well so far and has a great attitude toward school.
*Signed up for Track but switched to Volleyball. She dropped out of band, but says she'll keep up her flute. Let's hope she can.
*She's not going to be in Girl Scouts anymore herself, but she's going to be helping Tulip's Girl Scout Troop

- Tulip
*Started 2nd grade, but she still has the same teacher. We loved that teacher last year so this should be another good year for her.
*Still in Girl Scouts and still loves it

EARLY SEPTEMBER
- Bushia (aw heck, she doesn't need a flower name) went into the hospital. She's 88 and very weak, but she is home now and recovering.

- Star is now sharing her wisdom and holy graces with younger Orthodox youth by helping out as an Assistant Sunday School teacher
- Tulip started Sunday School and Greek School (actually tonight is her first night)
- Star has moved up to full fledged GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Assoc.) and has left poor Orchid in Jr. GOYA.
- I'm going to be starting adult Greek school on Thursday nights. Cross your fingers for me.

From 29 May 08

I was writing this and I never got around to finishing it. Here is what I had:

"I've actually been dieing to write this, but I haven't had time. I've got a lot to tell you, but first I want to mention that I'm at the Greek Consulate right now with Yarrow and Peony. Cool huh? They needed to get some paperwork done so I offered to drive them downtown. It's a long wait so I thought I'd type this out now. There's no WiFi here so I'll post it later.

The big news is the Junior Olympics. Last Saturday we went to SS Constantine and Helen (Gardenia's Alma mater is Kores, the grade school there and we got married there, btw) in Palos Hills. We got there for the opening ceremony, but volleyball didn't start until 4:30pm. That was good, because when we arrived I still wasn't sure we had a team (I had had one practice and only my girls and another pair of sisters showed).

We met the other pair of sisters and we had six. The only trouble was the four not mine had never played volleyball before. I had brought a ball so we spent all day getting to know each other and hitting the ball around.

We ended up winning the game! The girls really worked well together well and helped each other alot. They're all great girls and I'm very proud of them.

The second round was Sunday afternoon (to give us all a chance to go to church I'm sure, but only Star, Rose and I took advantage of that opportunity). We showed up and got mown down by a team full of High School volleyball players. The thing that surprised me the most was that I wasn't at all unhappy that we lost, I was sad that we couldn't play anymore. The girls were that great.

Now we will get away from sports, but stay with the Greeks."

I don't remember what I was going to write next, but the report up until then was very good and exciting (to me at least). I wrote all the green text on my PDA. I love having the opportunity to do that (although it is a bit of a pain because my fingers are too big and the keyboard is only virtual).

I didn't mention it in this post, but I was the coach for that team. Both Star and Orchid played on the team and Tulip made herself the team nurse.

Mowing the Lawn and the Olympics

The last couple of weeks it has been raining every time I have intended to mow the lawn for the first time this year. Finally, last Saturday I went out, between showers and did it.

There were two problems with this, one: the grass was very wet so it wouldn't go into the bag; and B: it got dark by the time I was finishing so I couldn't see where I was going mostly.

The end result, after more than an hour and a half was a poorly mown lawn. It, of course, didn't rain from that point until Monday. I went out and mowed it again, twice! It looks really nice now, but that is what prompted the latest poll about lawn mowers.

On to the Olympics, no, not the trouble in Tibet or other protests, but the "real" Olympics, the important one, Junior Olympics.

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago holds a Junior Olympics every year. Every year my girls sign up for volleyball and every year our church can't field a volleyball team. This year I asked if it was lack of players or lack of a coach.

Guess who the coach is now? You got it on the first try. I'm now the volleyball coach for our church, Ascension of Our Lord. The Junior Olympics are Memorial Day weekend at Saints (abbreviated SS) Constantine and Helen in Palos Hills (where Gardenia and I got married).

Good Friday (the Orthodox Way)

Today is Good Friday for the Orthodox flowers in my family. Usually the two Easters are about a week apart, sometimes they are on the same day, but I've never seen them a month apart. It has been very confusing.

My new poll is about what you do for Easter. I'll post after Sunday what we do, but I wonder what special things everyone else does.

I've always felt that Easter should be the most important holiday of the year and I've been confused that it is second banana to Christmas. Christmas would be meaningless without Easter.

Here's a crazy idea (it's not Orthodox or orthodox, just my crazy thinking) what if we had kept Christ's birthday celebration on his actual birthday (presumably in spring because of the shepherds watching over their sheep) then we could have had one big celebration with Christmas and Easter together. Now that would have been something.

Anyway, no meat today (that is the Orthodox way). In fact, no meat, dairy, fish or oil this whole week (only shellfish). Also tomorrow we are not supposed to eat anything until we go to church at about 11:00PM until after midnight.

As the little flowers grow old enough to observe the ritual fasting I find new and more extreme rules that I didn't know about before. I didn't know that we weren't supposed to use oil.

Today is also Star's Ribbon Ceremony Day. She's in 8th grade and she gets presented with her hat tassel thing for her graduation cap. Gardenia and I are going to try to attend.

Name Day, Independence and a Birthday

March 25th was Tulip's seventh birthday! Hooray.

It was also Greek Independence day. We don't really celibrate that at our house, but it is easy to remember because of Tulip's birthday and because it is the name day of my mother-in-law, Yarrow and my daughter Orchid.

I usually try to fly my Greek flag on Greek Independence Day and Oxi Day (28 Oct), but shame on me, I forgot until late in the day so I'll just "fly" it here.

For all the reasons stated, OPA!

What Did You Give Up for Lent?

What did you give up for Lent? I have a poll going with some of the more common and more unusual things. Please vote and leave a comment.

When I was in Afghanistan, I figured I had already given up enough so I just made a commitment to go to Mass every Friday. Trouble was the priest wasn't available for most of Lent so I satisfied myself with doing a rosary each Friday. I had just learned to do the rosary while in Afghanistan anyway.

I was going to do the same thing this year, but I'm pretty sure the priest will be available this time. I got a late start because Greek Easter this year is 27 April, more than a month after "regular" Easter (23 March) and I'm all messed up. My Fridays have been messed up as well so I've decided to read the mass readings everyday instead.

What are you giving up or doing extra?

I've recently heard a lot of people who are trying to do something extra instead of giving something up.

Do you think abstaining from something or making an extra effort is better? Is the whole thing a waste of time?

I think it's useful either way. It makes you stop and think, which is; I believe the real value in not eating meat on Fridays during Lent. It makes you alter your regular daily routine and examine what you are doing and why. It gets to psyche and who we are really. I think it's valuable even for non-Catholics.

The Greek Orthodox and presumably all Eastern Orthodox observe Lent slightly differently. Firstly, it starts on a Sunday, not a Wednesday. Also, they abstain from all meat AND dairy products on Wednesdays and Fridays for all of Lent. They call this abstinence, "fasting." During Holy Week (the week from Palm Sunday until Easter) they "fast" every day. They don't give up anything else, but I think the reminder and the chance to think about things greater than the everyday is still there.

For those of you who don't know, Catholics start Lent on Ash Wednesday and it runs until Easter. You are supposed to give something up (traditionally) and you are required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday. You are also required to fast (as in not eat more than one meal) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

I would be very interested in unusual Lenten observations (like giving up dancing at clubs, which an employee of mine vows each year and then can't seem to keep it) and the number of people that choose what I think are the most common items to give up. Please leave comments and vote on the poll.

Christmas Stuff and Basketball Less Taken

On Monday we went caroling at the Greek American Rehabilitation Center in Wheeling. It was very nice. All five of us went with the JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) and GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth of America) from our church (Ascension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church). We walked up and down the halls singing and Star made a couple of new friends. We even sang one Greek song (well, I didn’t sing it as I don’t know the words or tune).

Tuesday everything was Ice Stormed out. No school, no band concert and no Greek school.

I used our brand new Cannon ZR800. Tulip’s Christmas concert was Wednesday morning and I got the whole thing on tape. She was very cute and really got into the movements for the songs. First graders can be so funny; they don’t have all the inhibitions in place yet.

Star’s basketball season is on hold until after the new year because of some scheduling conflicts. Wednesday night they didn’t do too well, losing 29 to 8. Star played pretty well and I managed to video tape some of the game. I ran out of battery at about half time because I hadn’t recharged it after Tulip’s concert.

Wednesday was Uncle Sweet Pea’s 40th birthday. Happy birthday Uncle Sweet Pea, and congratulations again to Granny Begonia (I always say that the mother does all the work and deserves all the credit for a birthday, since the baby is just along for the ride).

On Friday we had Girl Scouts and we made pretzels.

BBall Record 3 and 3

Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday: they wore blue, we wore white, we were at home, we scored a lot, they didn't.

You can see by the scoreboard that it was a blow out. They actually only made two baskets, the other point was from a free throw.

Our Stargazer Lily got fouled and had to shoot two free throws. From her reaction you'd've guessed that she committed the foul. She made one of the two. She got at least one other basket, several rebounds and several blocks.

It was a fun game. It was the game the scoreboard is from (note Star's number on the board, 50).

On Tuesday I had to take Tulip to Greek School so I couldn't make the game. We played the same school, but at their home gym. We won again, except it was 30-something to 20-something today. I'm glad, it would have been sad if we had beaten them as badly again.

On the way to Greek School, Tulip and I were listening to the School Of Rock CD in the Flowermobile. When it got to the line about "until the stars are falling," she asked if they meant asteroids.

I told her that it meant, "the end of time." She said, "but the circle of life goes on forever." I asked if we could please just listen to the song. She said, "Continue."

On the way home I offered to play an audio book. She said, "Yes, that will get some English into me."

Six year olds are so funny.