The Dessert ©

…… playing music.
Music is a big part of Greeks and partying. The music is used to record history and a page in history was written in every song.
In Greece they take music and dancing seriously. There have been people killed for dancing to a song, that someone else has ordered and paid to dance too. These are extreme cases but I know of 2. One was in Crete, where a groom was killed at his wedding reception for dancing to someone’s song.
The music tells of times of strife and times of happiness.
Pride is the driving force in most of the older songs. Passion for country and love of life, drama is a drug in most of the music. Pain is sung with such intensity you can almost feel the singer’s agony.
Gratitude in Greece is shown by the smashing plates, not one or two but thousands a night litter the sides of the dance floor. When in Greece you buy plates and smash them at the dancer’s feet.
Ha Ha Ha I’m using paper plates.
The sun was going down and dusk was settling in. It had begun to cool down a bit and there was a festive feeling in the air. The sky was clear and there was a faint glimmer of a star peeking down on us.
My cousin had brought her karaoke machine and wanted to bring it to sing. Her brother’s wife squealed at the though of karaoke.
I saw their husbands roll their eyes. They quickly told me about the time they went to a karaoke bar and the 2 of them went on stage and the people were leaving the place once they started singing.
The husbands pretended they were gay and didn’t even know, who the girls were.
Armed with that knowledge I quickly jumped up and said I will play music for them instead. We moved the tables a bit and the chairs then cranked up the tunes.
The kids made a run for it because they knew, that when the tunes went on, their mothers grabbed at them to dance. Everyone was dancing around the yard in circles. Laughing and singing. There were a couple of solo dances while the rest cheered on.
I got lucky; this was such a beautiful night. The grownups were having fun and so were the kids. The parents came out to watch and listen.
Looking at them you could see in their eyes what they were thinking. They were transported 50 years back in time, to a simple life in the country side, with youth running through their veins, drinking wine and dancing until the sun came up.
They were not thinking of the bad times but only the good. They were thinking about their parents and aunts and uncles long gone. They were looking at their children and their grand children laughing and happy as their parents had looked upon them. I would like to think, they were felling a sense of accomplishment.
After an hour or so, probably closer to 2 hours we sat down and dessert was brought out. There was a large assortment of cakes (chocolate mostly) coconut banana cream pies 3 of them, with whip cream, and boxes of store bought pastries.
The kids managed to get seated first. We ate until we couldn’t eat any more. There were no diets today just good food and thousands of glorious calories.
The parents started to leave but we were just starting. We sat there telling stories of when we were young, and the stuff we did and the parties we went too. The clubs we danced at and the all niters.
I sat there looking at the faces of my cousins. And everyone I look at my mind went back to the young kids I knew and grew up with. The smiles were the same.
They had to go but managed to talk for another hour. The kids were trying to get them to go home. Go figure.
I became the cool uncle to a bunch of nephews and nieces. That bothered me a bit. Sara told me later I should be proud.
Uncle Walker, nope it still bugs me, it makes me feel old.
They all took my MSN and have added me on their friends list and are now driving me nuts.
My niece came back from her prom tonight and wanted me to see her so she turned on the web cam. Damn kids, uncle fucken Walker Pfffffft.
She looked gorgeous.
Well back to the Bbq, they all got up to leave and we said good night and hugged and kissed, but we didn’t say good bye because,
THE PARTY CONTINUES, on the 25 of July there is a Picnic and on July 30 at my cousin’s place there is a Bbq. Then in August we are all going to the Greek festival.
They are also invited to my August 13 BBQ blowout, which is open to everyone who shows up.
I won't be cleaning house for that. I'm wrapping the house in plastic wrap on the weekend, until then.

So this was the Bbq I held on the weekend.

Now come on ladies and Jac, tie up the shirts and do a belly dance with me.
This is easy, hold your hands away from your body, and with the rhythm of the music, push out your hip to the left and back, snapping your fingers and dance around the room.
Tell Simon he's dreamin Jo.
And when you’re done, send me an OPA!!!!!!!!!!!

Greek Belly Dancer

Isn't life grand. I have a great family, great kids a beautiful girlfriend and a bunch of great friends.

Picking this song was a pain, because I like this one and then there was another track with various song from different regions. So at 3 pm today I will put the other one on until I post at midnight.

Enjoy.

OPA!!!!!!!

Uncle Walker