Aglow in Yellow

It's the last week of March and the Cretan countryside is aglow in yellow. Above, clouds covered the sun, seconds before I took this photo, but the round, cheery flowers, like millions of little light bulbs, brightened the scene for me, so that I could capture the tiny church in all its radiant illumination.

This blossoming pear tree is one

 of many in the immediate vicinity. 

Its silky, white flowers are a soft contrast to the yellow 

  saturation that dominates the petal population at present.

These adorable daisies arrived in patches about a week ago. They're the first bunch of beauties I encounter on my walk around the village. Don't they look like those animated suns in kids' drawings? I can almost see their sweet, smiley faces and hear their childlike voices bidding me 'Good morning' in unison. 

'Good morning, daisies'.

Meanwhile, white mustard (Sinapsis alba L, belonging to the Brassicaceae family) is at its peak right now. I read here, that, 'while the table condiment mustard does indeed come from the mustard seed, the leaves, flowers, seed pods and roots are also edible.'. The young leaves, in particular, are used to flavour mixed salads.

I have been wandering through meadows of these lemony toned lovelies for years; who knew that they are packed with a peppery spice and provide a host of therapeutic qualities from treating ailments like bronchitis and pneumonia to alleviating arthritis?!

Indoors, a favourite flower of mine, my beloved freesia, take centre stage on a doily that resembles yet another sun, this one lacy and delicate. This fragrant posy is part of a bigger bouquet given to me by my sweet friend, Fotini, for my birthday, last week. She has several pots blooming on her balcony. Interestingly, her name, 'Fotini' is derived from the Greek, φως (phos), meaning 'light'. This bunch so beautifies the house with its glowing, yellow bulb-like petals and that scent!

 

And thank you, my sweet readers for visiting
   and for all of your thoughtful birthday wishes!
Have a wonderful week!

xoxo
Poppy 

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I'm No Spring Chicken

Hello all,

 Happy Spring!

On Sunday, we celebrated my birthday, dining

 al fresco in this gorgeous landscape, just a

 10 minute drive from our village. 

While daisies and buttercups garnished the fields below, 

source

we had a scrumptious lunch on the patio 

of this beautifully rustic establishment,

 high, in the hilly Cretan countryside.

 

Before leaving, a prayer at the inn's tiny chapel, 

completed our visit to this pretty, pastoral place.

Once home, Liberty and I immediately changed into

 more sporty clothing, then departed on our daily walk, 

hoping to undo some of the damage done at the tavern.

Now, my daughter is twenty something and in great shape. 

And, although she can easily finish our route in half the time,

 she is happy to stroll at my pace, simply to keep me company.

 After all, I'm no spring chicken, 

just a loving, mother hen!

Thanks for visiting!

xoxo

Poppy

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Women's Day Tea in the Village

Hello everyone, as you all know, last Wednesday was International Women's Day, and as a member of the Ladies' Philanthropic Society of our village, I suggested that we host a tea party to celebrate women all over the world. Firstly, I wanted the ladies of the village to feel special, so I proposed that invitations be created and hand delivered. Two of our artistic members, Kristy, and her mother, Sonia, created the pretty design, above. Isn't it adorable? 

source

Next, we needed a venue. The obvious choice was the village schoolhouse. It has not been in operation as an educational facility for a while, but instead, is used for the various cultural activities that take place throughout the year, as well as being available to the children to play table tennis, a variety of board games or visit its little library.

source

Expecting about 60 guests, we closed off  part of the space to make for a cozier atmosphere. The floor is grey pebble mosaic, the walls are white stucco, the ceiling a brown wood panel and there is no heating. Obviously, it is not your  typical, ornate tearoom,

but I  knew the heavy, folding doors, covered in a beautiful, olive green patina would make the room feel warm and inviting. I asked our members to bring as many of their teacups and saucers from home to add personal charm to compensate for the paper tablecloths and plastic garden chairs. A gorgeous bouquet of anemones was purchased and then divided into  posies that were placed on the tables. 

 

Magnets in flower and heart motifs - a gift for each guest, decorated each place setting. Handmade, clay candles dotted by cute ladybugs gave the room a fresh, spring-like feel and a soft, shimmery glow. A very heartfelt thank you to our talented and generous member, Eleni, who provided the magnets and crafted the candles!

When I asked our members to each make something sweet or savoury for the occasion, I had no idea that our guests would do the same! But, Cretans are known for their hospitality and I should have realized that our guests would also have wanted to contribute to our assortment of scrumptious treats! Don't they look delicious?

From a wide variety of traditional, sweet and savoury Cretan pites (pies) and koulourakia (biscotti), to loukoumades (pastries made of deep fried dough soaked in a syrup of honey and cinnamon and sprinkled with sesame seeds), and rich, decadent cakes (my chocolate/orange gateau, for example), there was something for everyone, including much Lenten fare for those who were fasting.

While the ladies sipped their tea and nibbled their goodies, it was time for our president to give a short speech about the goals and efforts of the Ladies' Philanthropic Society, and its dedication to helping the sick, the poor, and those less fortunate. She pointed out that we meet at a different member's home once a month, which gives us a chance to socialize over coffee and discuss our agenda, ultimately deciding on where our donations will go to for that month. In closing, she thanked each lady for attending and reminded us that, as women, we share the spirit of sisterhood and hoped that we could work together to make the world a better place.

I, for one, have so enjoyed working closely and cooperatively with my fellow members, who have since become wonderful friends, upon my return to the island. After a little convincing, (re: shopping, baking, crafting, setting up and cleaning!), I am very grateful that my suggestion to have this Women's Day Tea in our beautiful village was accepted with such enthusiasm by everyone in our group, who all worked very hard to make it such a sweet gathering of female fun; I will savour the memory forever!

 How did you celebrate Women's Day? 

Thanks for visiting!

xoxo

Poppy

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Narcissus and Anemone Amore

An artsy version of my first bouquet of narcissus

 and anemones, this year, allows me to forever

 preserve their delicate beauty and cheery character.

 Finding the narcissus among the masses of buttercups that have promptly popped up all over the island was no easy feat!

 

But, thanks to a fruity/floral fusion, their fragrance draws you 

to them, so that no matter how boldly the buttercups beam, 

 it is only the tiny, white narcissus that are seen.

You'll find more narcissus and anemone amore here and here.

What early spring flowers have stolen your heart?

Thanks so much for visiting 

and have a lovely week!

xoxo

Poppy

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