Ionian winter fashion

Not that I can speak universally of course but this was my spin on the weather, which was cold but very sunny...

Note the special "lama hat" (Made in Tibet!) that is ver-ry warm. Large decorative black flower on the side makes a statement: either it looks like one earmuff has fallen off or simply that your head is tilted charmingly to one side because of the weight.


And, of course, the faux UGG boots (pictured in previous post) that can be worn with everything including pajamas! (am wearing special fingerless gloves (see previous post) as they keep hands very hot, once they've started working, all the while allowing you to actually use your fingers while getting all the benefits of "wearing" gloves!)

T thinks I look like a large cookie.

(In fact, it gave him a great idea! He's baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies this morning! YAY!)

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate chip cookies

This recipe started out as an accident, when T initially crossed two recipes, side by side in the Fanny Farmer cook book. This is (sort of) the new "working" version:

1/2 lb (200-230 g -ish) butter
1/2 c (100 g) dark brown sugar
1/2 c (100 g) sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla essence
1 c (200 g) flour
1/2 c (100 g) oatmeal (uncooked)
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 c (50 g) finely chopped walnuts
1 c (1/4 L, 6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 handful of raisins (may have been soaked in something good- like whiskey! or something good for you like orange juice... DRAIN before adding.)

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and grease cookie sheets.
Cream butter and sugars together til light and smooth, then beat in egg and add vanilla.
Mix dry ingredients together (not nuts or chocolate chips) and add to the first mixture. (if too dry add a bit of plain yogurt)

Stir in nuts, chocolate chips and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls on the cookie sheets (leave a little space they spread a bit and rise), and bake for 8 to 10 minutes til lightly browned. (closer to 8 they're soft and chewy, 10 they're soft and crisp at the same time.)

Ancient/Modern Greek Humor...

Image via WikipediaMortal: What is a million years like to you?

Mortal: What is a million years like to you?

Zeus: Like one second.

Mortal: What is a million dollars like to you?

Zeus: Like one penny.

Mortal: Can I have a penny?

Zeus: Just a second...

~~~

A Man dies and goes to hell. There he finds that there is a different hell for each country. He goes to the German hell and asks, "What do they do here?"

He is told: "First they put you in an electric chair for an hour. Then they lay you on a bed of nails for another hour. Then the German devil comes in and whips you for the rest of the day.

The man does not like the sound of that at all, so he moves on. He checks out the American hell, as well as the Russian hell & many more.

He discovers that they are all more or less the same as the German hell. Then he comes to the Greek hell and finds that there is a long line of people from all nationalities waiting to get in.

Amazed, he asks, "What do they do here? He is told, "First they put you in an electric chair for an

Image by XcBiker via Flickr

hour, and then they lay you on a bed of nails for another hour. Then the Greek devil comes in and whips you for the rest of the day. "But that is exactly the same as all the other hells. Why are there so many people waiting to get in?"

Because the maintenance crew is always on strike, there is no electricity so the electric chair doesn't work, Someone has stolen all the nails from the bed, and the devil is a former Government employee, so he comes in, signs the register and then goes to have his frappe and eat kourabie all day...

Old Joke

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, 'Socrates, do you
know what I just heard about one of your students?'

'Wait a moment,' Socrates replied. 'Before you tell me I'd like you to pass
a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test.'

'Triple filter?' asked the acquaintance.

'That's right,' Socrates continued. 'Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?'

'No,' the man said, 'actually I just heard about it.'

'All right,' said Socrates. 'So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?'

'No, on the contrary ....'.

'So,' Socrates continued, 'you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?'.

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued..' You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?'

'No, not really...'

'Well,' concluded Socrates, 'if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?'

The man was defeated and ashamed. This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.



It also explains why he never found out that Plato, one of his students, was having an affair with his wife.

~~~