Friday, July 29, 2011

Daughters of Penelope

A question came up the other day whether I was a member of the Daughters of Penelope. Yes, I am, and have been very proud to be a member for over 20 years now.

The Greek women's group (DOP) is an affiliate organization of AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association), and represents all the ideals and virtues that Penelope showed while waiting faithfully for the return of her husband Odysseus. Daughters of Penelope encompasses several chapters throughout the United States and has thousands of members, ranging from youth to women to great-grandmothers. They are also a philanthropic organization that has helped raise money for charity.

The younger version of this group is called Maids of Athena. They are also a very important and active group embodying all the virtues of Athena.

Below is their official website:
http://www.daughtersofpenelope.org

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

New Website

I recently had to upgrade my website www.pattyapostolides.com because it was having trouble uploading. I am just about finished with it and found it to be very easy to make.

In the past, I had to use HTML code to write all my webpages, but with the help of weebly.com site, I was able to connect my domain name (Netfirms) with their webpage making ability and voila! I have a completely made over website. I think this one is a much better one to navigate.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Greek Poem - Hellas, My Hellas

Hellas, My Hellas

Hellas, Hellas, where have you gone?
Swept by the sea toward eternity?
From eternity you came and planted
Yourself squarely on the sea of life.
Do not leave now, oh no, my Hellas.

Born in Greece and married to a Greek,
I can't but help keep tabs on what is happening
To my beautiful country, Hellas.
Hellas, with its rich, ancient history that
Has been admired for so many years by all cultures,
For creating the Olympics, which continues even now.

Hellas, with its pristine beaches
Its thousands of beautiful, fresh islands,
With its hospitable people and friendly faces
With its donkeys, grape and olive orchards
There is more to you than the eye meets.

Remember it also for its Acropolis and Parthenon,
For its ancient artifacts and majestic statues
That have found their way to other countries.
Remember it for Socrates and his philosophy
For its mythology, its comedy and tragedy,
And the lessons learned from them -
Even its language infiltrates the sciences
Its political system copied for centuries.

How extensively you have been written about - Hellas,
And even Athena's replica is found in
The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee -
A reminder of the neoclassical period
in the early 1900s.

But now you have been forgotten, my country.
My lovely, sun drenched, country -
As foreigners focus on your debt and
Your mismanaged finances;
Corruption has always existed
But why the focus there - now?

Do not die away, but remain strong,
Fight for what you believe in -
Truth, beauty, strength, democracy, freedom
And let the spirit of Greece live on.
Hellas, my Hellas.
Patrida mou, Patrida mou.

by Patty Apostolides, 2011