No. The number is not of grammars lost. Actually it is a number of grammars gained. And no. It is not a number of grammars gained in my body. It is a number of grammars gained in my life.

On July 12, at 12.40, my second niece was born! I am having goose bumbs as I am typing this. Goose bumbs in my body and tears in my eyes.

I used to have such a concrete set of arguments why we should not "multiply". And because I wanted to always be the noble and the wise, my first and strongest one was that since there are hundrends of thousands of orphans in the world, if a couple wanted a child, then they should adopt, and not have their own.

But when I saw my niece on Tuesday, I saw more than a gorgeous tiny new woman. I saw my brother's eyes. I saw my sister's in law lips. I saw my mother's hands. I saw Kiki's (my eldest niece) frawn. I heard my nephew's cry. I saw the outcome of love. I felt my grandparents' continuation.

So yes, I am here to declare that it is lovely and miraculous and wonderful to multiply. With your spouce that you love. With your boyfriend that you adore. With the one night stand you had just because you are single and want a baby. With the ovalry and the sperm in the tube. With the misfortunate orphan you adopt.

Making a family is a lot more than multiplying and reproducing life. It is really multiplying and reproducing love. It is continuing your tradition. It is accepting the love inside you and deciding to share it. It is evolvement. It is hope. It is new. It is a fresh start. It is a gift to your own parents because you honour their decidion to have you. It really and trully is so many more things that need someone less sentimental and more eloquent than me right now to express.


Now what has happened till the last time I was here....

Well, I have gained a kilo and have gained some more self respect. Not that these things are related at all. Besides the timing.

I spent Saturday, Sunday, and Monday on the beach. No it was not a long weekend. I just gave myself Monday off. We were there at around 10 am and left around 9 pm each and every day. I am tanned finally! I am fat still! And I don't really mind!!! I drunk so many coctails while at the beach. I ate a few icecreams too. Some chips, and fruit. Quite not nutritional meals for three days. Then today I got on the scales and saw an extra kilo. I will admit that I started my period today and I am secretely hoping that it is a bloat and not really a gain, since I swam a lot, played beach volley, played racket ball, and swam some more.

This is where I gained some more self respect. We went to the beach of a great hotel. We wanted something well organised, with umbrellas and deck chairs and hot undressed waiters to serve us cool yummy coctails. I went with my friend Sofia, and Angelos and Vangelis joined us later in the afternoon during the weekend, and then Monday it was just us the girls. It was wonderful because Sofia and I finally had 3 full days to catch up on life and each other. And it was even greater because I finally talked her into trying therapy. So she had a session with my therapist on Tuesday, and he said she is able to attend the marathon this weekend. So Sofia and I will do the marathon together. A bit scary, since I have shared Marathons and group therapy with strangers who became friends in the process, but never with anyone from my "real" life. But Sofia and I have been friends for 25 years now, and I am certain that exposing ourselves will not change our love for each other. I will let you know on Monday anyway :)

Anyway, on Monday, after Sofia and I finished another round of racket ball, a gorgeous young man on his late twenties approached us. He said hello politely, and asked me if he could say something a bit personal to me. I said he could say whatever he wanted but he would have to accept whatever I had to say in response. He smiled and said that this were a fair deal.

He said he watched me since Saturday. He said he is a PT, and he could tell I was a woman who had lost weight. I freaked out, because you and I all know what this means. Flaaaab. Streeeeetch marks. I felt a punch in my stomach.

To cut the long story short, what this man told me was that the way I was swimming, playing sports, walking to the bar for water, and danced in my bathing suit was admirable and he wanted to tell me so! He said I looked so well coordinated and so full of life that he went past the flaws in my body, and was captured by my whole being!!!! He said my man was lucky to have me!!!!

Now can you imagine of any better compliment???

He also told me to use bay leaves oil to tone my skin.

A compliment AND a tip!!!!

This really gave me a whole new respect for this body. Which is fat and full of flaws but can still swim, dance, play beach volley, and racket balls!

I also went to my holistic med yesterday, and to the hospital the day before. I was beaten by a bee on Sunday, and by Tuesday it was too ugly, too swallen and too itchy. I got a cortizone shot and now it is getting better.

My holistic med gave me a new 15 day eating plan for some fat killing. I will start on Monday, cos it has a lot of prep and I cant do it this weekend with the marathon and all.

And I am making a new red dress for a wedding we have to attend on Saturday evening. I promise a picture of this too.

And last but not least, today I saw construction workers outside our building and YES! they are from the phone company!!! That means that the latest end of next week I will FINALLY have a phone line!!!

Oh my goodness, I really am looking so forward to some early morning blogging!!!!