The Day of the 'YES'!

Summer School Holidays 

+ 

Darling Husband's 2 week break from work

 = 

Today:

The Day of the 'Yes'.

Today my darling Husband and I became our daughters Dream Parents and allowed them to choose how we would spend the day as a family. 

This is what they came up with.

We said YES to Luna Park

                                                         We said YES to the Carousel

We said YES to Fairy Floss and Ice Cream Cones

We said YES to dizzy, twirly rollercoaster rides

We said YES to Silly Mirrors and Funny Faces

We said YES to the Golden Arches

'Twas a Very Good Day

xxxx

What have you said YES to lately?

'A Guest At God's Table': My Father's Gift

On this day, 7 years ago exactly. I tragically and unexpectedly lost my father.
He genuinely was one of the kindest, most generous and loving beings that has ever graced our planet.


A talented artist and musician, my father taught me to search for, and appreciate beauty in all things.


His philosophies were simple. Do Good. Be Good. Help those who need it. Reach out to, learn from and appreciate other cultures. Most of all he dreamed of a Peaceful, Loving world for it's children to grow up in.


On this day 7 years ago I was in shock as the paramedics wheeled his lifeless body away and struggled to come to terms with a new reality: Life Without Dad.


In a blur of tears I made my way to his little artists studio out the back of our house. I wanted to feel his energy. His little studio was his creative haven. It's walls were lined with shelves displaying his treasured collection of books on art, music, architecture, spirituality, greek literature and hundreds of cd's and vintage vinyl recordings. His collection of guitars were propped all around, welcoming me with their comforting, woody smell. His desk was filled with notes and diaries, Christmas cards he'd received, Christmas cards he'd been writing.
At the very top of the many piles lay a lone sheet with a few lines in his distinct, arty penmanship.


I picked up the paper and read:

A Guest At God's Table

We are all visitors here, on Planet Earth

All guests at God's Table

We have to ask ourselves,

what have we brought to the table to share

what are the many gifts given to us

and what will we leave behind, in gratitude

for the hospitality,

and for the guests that follow us

Costas 

December 2004

This was likely the last thing he had ever composed.


My father was now a Guest at God's Table.

What a beautiful gift.

It was like it was meant for me to find it, right there, right then. It warmed my heart and soul like a loving, comforting embrace.

Dad's message to me. Dad's message to us all. Our presence here on this lovely planet of ours is transient, we are not here forever, we are merely guests. The gifts given to us are our talents and our strenghts. My father's gifts were his kindness and his musical talent, and that is what he is most remembered for.

We all have gifts, we all have talents. What we need to do is be brave enough to open our hearts to them, accept them, use them and share them. 

What are your special gifts? Have you acknowledged them? Are you using them? Everybody has something special and unique about them, and that includes you, yes, YOU! Are you creative? A good listener? A nurturing cook? A loyal friend? An inspiring teacher? Do you express yourself through the written word? Do you move people with your music? Does your beautiful smile make someone's day? Your gifts and talents have a flow-on effect which in turn touches many lives, more than you'd realize.

So go on, Live your life doing what you Love. Make it count. Life is precious.

*This is a song my father composed when I was a young girl. Moved by scenes of famine and war in the Middle East, he felt compelled to write a song dedicated to the world's children, instead of asking for toys at Christmas, to wish for a Peaceful Earth. It is sung in Greek, but as music is a Universal Language, the sentiment is there.

Dream Big, Little Ones

Some kids at school made me cry today.

They were not my darling twins who were singing and dancing on stage about 'Celebrating Friends' (although I was an extremely proud Mamma, gleefully recording them on my phone).
I shed a tear when the next group of children came out to share their Philosophy class project.
Each child was asked to think about a dream or goal they would like to achieve, and to think about what steps they needed to take to achieve them.

Inspired by a visit from inspirational sportsman and footballer, Jim Stynes, who is currently battling cancer, he asked the children to go home and make a poster of their dream, and to stick it up somewhere where they could see it everyday, reminding them that they have something to strive for in life.

The children came out on stage with their dreams in their hands. Bright, sparkly, glittery, shimmery dreams, decorated with pictures, photos, ribbons and drawings, held out proudly for all the teachers, parents and carers to see. Boys and girls with Hope in their hands, the Future in front of them. I scanned the placards: dreams of being a fisherman, a kennel keeper, a fashion designer, a teacher, to travel to Paris, to climb mountains, to build a house, to open a restaurant to feed hungry people, to discover treasure, to kick winning goals.

My heart swelled with admiration for these little beings, and a tear escaped from behind my big, black Oroton sunglasses and trickled down my cheek. It made me think of my own dreams. Have I achieved them all? No. But there's still time to turn my Dreaming into Doing.

I wish, hope and pray that all those children, and my children, and your children, and every child on this planet achieves their little dream, whatever that may be. Who are we to judge, or tell them it can't be done?

If there's anything that I really want to instill in my girls, it is To Believe in Themselves, and To Believe That They Can.

In the famous word's of Audrey Hepburn:

"Nothing is Impossible. The word itself says I'm Possible"

Are you living your Dream? 

The Cowgirl Sisterhood : or : Why I Wanna Be A Cowgirl

It might come as a surprise to some of you, but contrary to my 'Whoa, Mamma!' profile pic (the fabulous print by renowned vintage pinup artist, Gil Elvgren), I'm not actually a Cowgirl. Nor am I blonde. But I am buxom. And I damn well want to learn how to use a lassoo (oh, the things I could do...)   ;)

My Cowgirl alter-ego came about one day when I was literally at the end of my tether. The demands of Motherhood were overwhelming me, Housework was swamping me, and I didn't know which way to turn. I thought if I heard one more complaint/demand/argument or slipped on another trodden grape/banana/vegemite sandwich, I would explode.

So I went and locked myself in my room for a bit of time-out.

I'm one of those types who'll smile and say everything is alright, even when it isn't.

On this particular day, I hit a wall. I felt I had noone to turn to. I needed to release. And so, I opened up my laptop, googled  Blogger, and set about creating my little blog, 'Whoa, Mamma!'

I had no idea what a blog was or how to go about it. I had no intention of  anybody reading it, except me. To me, my little darling blog was a 21st Century version of my high-school diary. A place to put down my thoughts and feelings, memories and emotions.

But to write, to express my thoughts and feelings, I need to be Brave. In order to be Brave enough to hit that 'PUBLISH' button on my first post, I needed an alter-ego. I envisaged myself as strong, confident, resilient, a free spirit, and maybe even a lil bit sassy. Immediately an image of a Cowgirl came to mind, and everything just clicked. I felt at home. I was up on my horse and galloping, baby! Yee-ha!!

What is it about Cowgirls? To me, they embody strength, resilience, hardwork, at one with the land, they get going when times are tough. They also exemplify an incredible faith , a freedom of spirit and an absolute devotion to their families and communities. They band together and support each other in times of need.

There's also a sassy sexiness associated with Cowgirls. 

Hello? Girls with guns?

Girls with whips and lassos riding astride wild beasts? Catch my drift?

Blogging under the guise of 'Whoa, Mamma' has also been a wonderful way to meet kindred spirits (that's YOU, my darling readers!). And some of the most gorgeous hearted souls I've ever had the privilege of 'meeting' include real life cowgirls: strong, independent, inspiring women who promote the cowgirl way.

These women and their communities inspire me on a daily basis. The Cowgirl Sisterhood, in particular: Barbara from 'Shabby Cowgirl', Vicki from 'Cowgirl Boutique', and Elise from 'Cowgirl in the Sand'.

It is with much love and adoration that I dedicate this post to them and thank them for welcoming me into their Cowgirl World. Giddy-up Sisters!

♥ Jess xxx

*A special thank-you to all who have been supporting me and voting for me to be included in the Circle of Moms 'Top 25 Aussie Mum Blogs'. I'm so humbled and grateful for it all.
If you like what I do here at 'Whoa, Mamma!' and want to show your love with  a vote, just click the link below:

Vote for 'Whoa, Mamma!' in the Circle of Moms 'Top 25 Aussie Mum Blogs'

Thanks again, my lovelies!
Yee-ha!
♥ Jess xxx

Whoa Mamma's Grateful Grecian Goddess Giveaway!!

My darlings, some of you may know that I have just returned from a whirlwind little trip to Greece, the land of my ancestors. I had a wonderful time catching up with family and friends, and enjoyed watching my little Katrushki walk down the aisle as a gorgeous flowergirl at her Godfather's wedding, which took place in an old stone church in a picturesque village on Mount Olympus, the home of the Ancient Greek Gods.

Katrushki, the little Flowergirl

Upon my little Mediterranean sojourn, I picked up a few of my favourite things along the way, from some of my most loved Greek brands, with a little giveaway in mind. This is my present to you, in gratitude for all your love and support in indulging me on my little Whoa Mamma journey.

'Whoa, Mamma!' is a little world I've created that focuses on turning the woes in life, into whoa's! Blogging has helped me reconnect to the little soul inside me that had been buried under  the weight of all my 'Mummy-Duties'. I believe in nurturing gratitude and promoting things of beauty, inspiration and positivity. Thank you for reading my musings, taking the time to comment, and sharing in all the Woes and Whoa's. It means the world to me.

And so, as a heartfelt Thank You to you all,  I have come up with Whoa Mamma's 'Grateful Grecian Goddess Giveaway'!!

This little collection of treasures is made up of:

• a 10cm Mastic scented votive candle from Mastihashop, (mastic is an ancient resin found only on the Greek island of Chios and has amazing therapeutic properties)
• Rose chewing gum with Chios Mastiha from Mastihashop
• a 50ml KORRES Yoghurt Body Butter, (for luscious, glowing skin)
• a 125g KORRES Pomegranate Soap (for face & body, it's a cleanser and toner in one!)
• a 70g block of world-famous ION Milk chocolate with Almonds (Whoa Mamma's favourite!)
• a handmade traditionally beaded Greek lucky-charm bracelet (because you can never have enough luck in this world!)

A Treasure Trove of Grecian Goodness!

KORRES Pomegranate soap

Yummy, yummy ION chocolate!!

Gorgeous rosepetal gum from MASTIHASHOP

One lucky darling will win it all, hopefully that's YOU!

All you have to do to enter is to be a follower of my blog or 'Whoa, Mamma' Facebook page and leave me a comment below sharing 3 things that fill your heart with Joy. Not too hard, is it?

Entries close Sunday 20th November and the winner will be drawn using random.org (I'm going to leave it up to Fate, choosing a winner from all you lovely folk would be like being asked to choose a favourite child!). Winner will be announced on my blog and Facebook page next week so stay tuned!

Please note: this is not a sponsored post. Everything in this giveway was purchased with Love, by me, with my own little euros xxxx

GOOD LUCK and feel free to share amongst your friends!!!

10 Riveting Tidbits about Whoa Mamma Revealed!

The darling Jac from Common Chaos Chronicle has tiggy-tagged me and challenged me to reveal 10 little factoids about myself to you, my darling readers. Well Jac, you asked for it:

WHOA MAMMA REVEALED!

1. I have an Arts Degree Major in Film & Television Studies, with a Minor in Archaeology.
    If I wasn't spending my days as a Haus-Frau peeling carrots, tending to 3 kiddies and a Darling Husband and moonlighting as Whoa Mamma, I had envisaged my life as a female Tarantino, writing film scripts while simultaneously searching for buried treasures in Ancient kingdoms. Yes, I'm the original Lara Croft.

2.  I met my Husband at a Bachelor Party. Intrigued? Love a good Romance? (you can read about it here)

3.  When I was 9 years old my family and I were extras in a music video for Australian rockgroup Men At Work. I am a black shadow at the 1.20 mark throwing confetti during a wedding scene.

4.  May 2005- May 2007 is a bit of a blur. Those 24 months of my life were dedicated to 2 pregnancies, which resulted in 3 darling girls (Twins first, followed by their little sister who came along 16 months later)

5.  I collect and have a real affinity for Native American silver and turquoise jewellery. My collection began when I bought my first antique Navajo ring at the age of 16. They're spiritual and sacred treasures that just resonate with my soul.

6.  I love the Cinema (but haven't been for years). My record as a Film Student was seeing 4 screenings in one day (that's a lot of popcorn!) My favourite films of all time are: Amelie, The Sound of Music, Edward Scissorhands, Reservoir Dogs and An Affair to Remember.

7.  I live 5 minutes walk to the beach. I love the beach but I'm TERRIFIED of sharks (Damn you, Spielberg!!!) When I'm in the water I'm scared to go past my waist, all I can think of is 'sharkbait'.

8. I usually dress from top to toe in black, but love to spice things up with red shoes.

9. I cried at the end of the Barbie DVD 'Island Princess' when the shipwrecked girl Ro was reunited with her long-lost mother.

10. I can pop a small length of string in my mouth and tie a knot in it using only my tongue (yes, it impresses my husband) Inspired by the character of Audrey Horne from 'Twin Peaks' who used to tie her knots with cherry stems.

Well there you have it. 10 Things You Didn't Really Need To Know About Whoa Mamma.

If there's anything you'd REALLY like to know about me, don't be shy. Ask away!
I'm Happy to Share. Sharing is Caring. xxx

What's something fascinating about YOU that you'd like to share?

The Bachelor Party of Destiny!

Do you believe in Destiny? I do.

Call it what you will: Fate, Intuition, the Guiding Hand, Guardian Angels.

All I know is that what I call Destiny, worked it's magic on me 11 years ago today.

At a Bachelor Party. In Greece. And no! I was NOT the entertainment!

Let me set the scene. Me, 24, freshly graduated from University. On my first liberating, thrilling, solo adventure travelling across Europe. I didn't have an itinerary. I went wherever my hunches were guiding me. Staying in hostels, pensiones and monasteries my heart was brimming with delight every morning I'd awake. I felt grateful and blessed. I felt I was on the right Path.

My father was born in Greece and I wanted to visit the town where my father was born. It's a beautiful town located by the sea, at the base of Mount Olympus (home to the Ancient Greek Gods). So yes, you may refer to me as a Grecian Goddess :)

I really didn't know much about my relatives but they knew all about me. I was greeted with amazing unconditional love, feasts, hugs, paraded about town, elderly people stopped me in the street because I bore an uncanny resemblance to my Grandmother, who would have been about my age when she boarded the Ship for a new life in Australia.

As it happened, my timing was impeccable. I'd arrived in time to attend a wedding the next day of a cousin I'd never met. Staying at an elderly Aunts house my cousin came to introduce himself. He wanted to take me out to his Bachelor Party that night. Desperately shy and with my extremely bad Greek I tried to back out of the situation saying that girls don't traditionally attend these events, so the boys can let loose. He insisted he'd take me out for one drink then he'd bring me home. I was about to protest again when THE VOICE inside me (intuition? guardian angel?) confidently and gently said: "Go...Go...". Whatever that voice is, it's never failed me. I knew something was instore for me that night so I accepted. And this was the moment where my Life Changed.

My cousin took me to a stylish bar where a group of young men were waiting for him at a table. There were all dressed nicely. I was in my best backpacker outfit of black capris, black skivvy, Camper Mary-Janes and a little Virgin Mary handbag I'd bought in Barcelona. I had no hair product so I'd tamed my frizzorama with coconut suntanning oil. But I was wearing my ravishing Red Lancôme lipstick from London so I was not totally feral.

Introductions were made as we sat down. An empty chair was next to me. My cousin called out to a young man ordering drinks at the bar. His back was turned to us as I scanned him up and down. He was dressed in a Parsian/Nautical style with a striped sweater, jeans and luscious black spiky hair with a hint of salt and pepper. He turned around and KABOOM!

His smile, his eyes, the long lashes, the Cary Grant-esque dimple in his chin, his humour, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. I felt like I was HOME.

One drink turned into 3 drinks, followed by another club, followed by dancing at the Bouzoukia, the night finally ending up at a little cafe serving 'patsa' (a soup made from pigs intestines perfect after you've had too many drinks, mmmm...mmmm). There was joy in our smiles, incredible beautiful energy connecting us and everyone could see it. We were inseperable. We danced, he made me laugh all night, we communicated via his broken English and my juvenile Greek. It's like we'd known each other all our lives.

There was no hanky-panky or kissy-kissy that night but the feelings were there. I'd never ever felt like this before. I'd never felt more comfortable, or at ease, or natural with anybody. I KNEW.

My cousin walked me back home at 6am. As soon as the doors of the lift to the apartment opened I was greeted by my dishevelled aunt, who looked up at the ceiling as if searching for God, and doing the sign of the Orthodox Cross.
"Oh my God, Heavenly Father!! Where were you? Where did they take you? Why did you take so long? I thought you were dead somewhere. What was I going to tell your father? What was I going to tell your father?!!!!!!!!!!!". And then she made the sign of the cross about another 20 times.
I greeted my aunt with a cuddle, a kiss and a smile of Bliss as I floated back to my bedroom. Life was Good! I grabbed my journal and wrote these words: "I know I'm crazy, but I LOVE him. I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM!!!


I had pre-booked a little side-trip to Italy which I was now reluctant to take. But it was only for 2 weeks then I'd return to Greece. I used it as an opportunity to clear my head and open my heart to what Life had in store. Sitting in a little chapel in Venice, at the feet of the Virgin Mary, I prayed. I would not call myself religious, but more Spiritual. I vowed to honour myself and my feelings and to speak my truth. My Truth being that I was in Love. Real Love, not lust nor infatuation. I never knew anything more completely than I did this fact. And I had to be Brave to admit my feelings. It was Now or Never. I had to tell him. I would rather face Rejection and Humiliation (my biggest fears) than regret not giving this a chance.

I returned to Greece and my cousins took me out for a drink. As Fate would have it, my Beloved was at the bar. I sat next to him, my heart in my mouth. He turned to me and said "I was counting the days while you were away". "Oh, really," I answered, "how long was I gone for?" He turned to me and looked me directly in the eyes and said "Thirteen". It's true, I was away in Italy for exactly 13 days.
He then continued to say in his shy, soft-spoken voice that he didn't know how I felt but that he'd developed deep feelings for me. KA-CHING!!!! He then looked away, awaiting rejection. I took him by the hand and admitted I felt exactly the same way.

To cut along story short, I took the plunge and moved to Greece. I said goodbye to my friends, my family, my work. It was the Wildest, Bravest, Craziest, Most Honest act I'd ever done in my Life. My beloved and I became engaged and we ran a Greek restaurant by the sea for a couple of years (my adventures in the tavern frying calamari warrant blog posts of their own!).

After 3 years in Greece we married and began our new life in Australia. I now look at our 3 precious girls and think that they wouldn't be here if this shy, young gal hadn't taken the Biggest Leap of Faith in Her Life.

In the Beginning...

At our tavern in Greece 'Zorba's' (yes, very original, I know)

Our Wedding in Greece

Entering the Church together

Here I was counting all the Blessings that
 brought me to this very moment in my life

Our Life in Oz

Our Cheeky Minxes

                              

Moral of the Story is: Follow Your Heart Always and Trust your  Intuition.

Has Destiny played a guiding hand in your life?