Its been a long time between posts. I have a good excuse or three. I’m still working, still grooming and still house-dog-cat-sitting.

The ‘sitting’ job has been extended due to health reasons – basically the owner needs surgery so I am staying another 4-5 days, past the already more days I have done.

I don’t mind, seriously, it’s just that having to do stuff after work becomes difficult when you have to drive up the mountain on a dirt road which only fits one car at a time (ie you/they have to back up to a spot in order for both of you to get through… not fun!) and then back down and back up again.

It means that (since I can’t take two dogs to work with me, or on grooming jobs) I have to leave said dogs at the house and drive up to make sure they are ok after work, feed them etc, then drive back down to go grooming or whatever. A lot of driving in a crap road.

I’ve had quite a bit of grooming lately. Not enough to give up the day job, but I’ve had some new customers and it’s still hot enough that people are wanting their dogs groomed regularly. Good for me… better if I wasn’t also house/animal sitting.

I keep telling myself I won’t do that again, but I’m a sucker and I say yes to everything. All the time. I love to be helpful. I need to learn to say no. I have stuff I need to do for myself. My own work, my grooming, my art. I can’t give up my time like I tend to do. Even for pay. I need to put my work first.

Anyway, did I mention my aunt got sick? Aunt #1, the one in the nursing home. I don’t think I did. During my busiest time, I had to spend some time in the health center here on Paros with her. Mom and one of my other aunts did too cause the health center is not a hospital and isn’t staffed at night. We are so lucky she didn’t have to go to hospital. There was no way I could take time off from work and leave the dogs/cat/house job either.

Thankfully she’s better and back in the nursing home where she has people to care for her round the clock. She looked awful though and we were really worried for her. She is 94, almost 95… declining health is inevitable, but still…

Work has been just as busy as it was all summer. Though September is over, tourists are still here, its still busy and there is still no parking.

The weather has been great mostly. Hot in fact, for the last 3 days. I finally managed to get a quick swim in today between work/picking up dogs/grooming. It was lovely. The beaches are nowhere near as busy as they were a month ago and I like that.

Hopefully things in my life will calm down soon and I can get back to sharing projects…

z