Greetings for a happy Saint Andrew’s Day!

               Happy Name Day to all who celebrate St. Andrew!

November 30: SAINT ANDREW – the First Called…

Celebrating someone’s Name Day it is an old European tradition; for centuries, all across the continent people have been celebrating their first names pretty much in the same way as we celebrate birthdays on this part of the world (over there, usually birthdays are celebrated mostly with the immediate family, but the name days are widely known and celebrated in larger circles). 

Generally speaking, each first name is assigned to one day of the calendar, based on different spiritual traditions, or specific historical events, or in relation with other facts.

Just imagine how pleasant it is to meet every year with dear friends for a joyful time, when nobody wonders how old you are?! In effect, it is like having a second birthday.

May the day find you close to those you love!

Alice’s Book Club – debut on October of 2018

As autumn beautifully unfolds on this part of the world, being spoiled for more than two weeks with a splendid ‘Indian summer’, on Friday (October 26’18) I was truly pleased to open my social book club – a fairly intimate gathering, which took place at a nice public library. 

Before I will give a brief description of the session in itself, I would like to quickly mention below some of the incredible benefits, in my opinion, a book club holds:
- For book lovers and not only, a book club offers a healthy intellectual stimulation
- It gives a sound sense of belonging to a community of likeminded people
- It allows for a good break from the daily routine
- It offers the freedom to be honest in sharing your views about the material you’ve read
- It is a welcoming environment, where one could make lifetime friends
- It is a good place to practice self-expression & it could increase confidence
- It helps decreasing stress & it builds teamwork
- It could aid gaining new perspectives 
- It gives a push to finish the reading on time, which would facilitate a meaningful participation to the subsequent discussions.
Summarizing here my rather brief points on the matter, without any doubt a good book club could be a nice, healthy, inspiring addition to any life style.

So, dear friends, please Read, Lead & Succeed!

Now, specifically speaking, for the opening session of my book club, I’ve selected the novel called “Behold the Dreamers”, by Imbolo Mbue, which is a book “about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream – the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy.” 

In order to give you a better sense of it, in the comments section below I am including the literary summary as well as a number of book reviews.
I was really glad to see how my group of friends deeply delved into many extensive comments, as in a way or another this book touched on a number of familiar similarities and interesting conclusions surfaced.  

Many questions were raised and answered by each participant, revealing personal perspectives about many aspects of life, and the final thought to ponder upon was: 

“What really makes life a success?”

An autumnal sketch – a traditional ‘taste’ of Romania

On the other hand, because the quince fruit it is the ‘perfect autumnal ingredient’, our dear friend Camelia was kind to offer us all some quince jam, which I was truly glad to present it to all participants that night in a Romanian traditional setting. It was such a culinary delight, we all loved tasting! 
Also, from a cultural stand point, under the concept of "Tales from my native land", in Romania there is a very well-known (old) folk song called "Galbena gutuie" ('Yellow Quince'), which I find appropriate sharing here...please enjoy it!

As usual, we wrapped up the evening in a very pleasant manner, committed to continue with our reading as well as sharing in this setting.

Once again, I would like to thank again all the book lovers who joined me that night – their enthusiasm, kindness and support always give me wings to prepare the next project. Until next time, to all and each of you, my best greetings for a beautiful rest of the autumn!

Alice  

The amazing impact of ART

There are numerous reliable, scholastic, papers which over time proved that art, such as poetry, music, visual arts, drawing, painting, iconography, calligraphy, collage, sculpture, storytelling, etc. have been playing a pivotal role in one’s soothing process

while at the same time would have the capability to elevate the human spirit toward the higher realms. 

For many people throughout the history, art meant a profound state, which entails a deep transformational process involving the heart, the mind and the body – all in itself leading to a very powerful and complex restorative experience, where creativity plays an essential role. 

Generally speaking, while walking the path of life, if you ever connected with a piece of art you happen ‘to meet’ on your way, and recognized the message or the feelings the artist was trying to convey then you just experienced on your own how influential art could be! 

Whether or not art is part of your daily life, there is no doubt that it can provide a wonderful avenue which can allow you to further explore more and settle yourself, while at the same time making possible to communicate these personal experiences to people around you - all with much transparency, joy and kindness. 

Through art you can find a lot of peace for yourself & offer it to others as well; you can bring hope, you can bring happiness, and definitively you can make tomorrow better than today. 

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." (Edgar Degas)

October 2018 – Message for THANKSGIVING Day

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday of the year when gratitude is extended for all the good things we each have acquired in our lives, celebrating the bounty of the harvest season, as well as reuniting with family and friends in thankfulness, while peacefully enjoying traditional food and autumnal activities.

A beautiful time of togetherness and sincere appreciation...HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY, dear friends!

“Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.” (Theodore Roosevelt)

September 23, 2018: Happy AUTUMN, dear friends!

September 23rd, the first day of autumn, marks the time when days start to get shorter and nights are getting longer, while weather temperatures begin to drop significantly.  As leaves began changing colors, we are reminded that summer is over, while autumn has arrived – a beautiful season which creates a unique sense of comfort, warmth and reflection. This is also the time when farmers around the world start to collect the harvest, while many traditional and cultural festivities are unfolding, featuring abundance and thankfulness. May this autumn bring you much peace and joy! 

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” (Albert Camus)

A short scientific briefing on AUTUMN EQUINOX:

The Autumnal Equinox (on Sept.22 in 2018) is an astronomical event, nearly noticed by everyone, marking the arrival of fall in Northern Hemisphere. During the equinox, the night & day have almost the same length (12 hours) throughout the world. The word "equinox" derives from Latin, meaning “equal night". The equinox happens when the equator passes the centre of the sun; this is when the North & South Poles of the Earth are not tilted towards or away from the sun, as at other times, but are aligned so as to give, theoretically, the same amount of daylight in both of the Earth's hemispheres.

AUTUMN (by Antonio Vivaldi) – audio