Author Archives: zefiart

Unknown's avatar

About zefiart

Blogger, DIY-er, poodle lover, graphic designer, dog groomer, recycler, artist, wonder woman in my spare time.

well, the christmas bazaar came and went…

Posted on by
6

Days and nights spent getting ready for the bazaar, carrying and carrying and carrying stuff to and from, and the long hours at the stall itself all took their toll. It took days to recover from lack of sleep and plain tiredness. I had begun to get back into tidying up at home, packing, sorting, sweeping up glitter, finding where things should live etc when I suddenly developed a really sore lower back for no apparent reason (well, doing leg lifts with a roller under my back at the gym *might* have something to do with it… as do a few compromised discs due to lower than optimal bone density and a myriad of accidents in my recent and distant past). I can barely lift a coffee cup without pain. So all those packed and half packed boxes are now sitting in the living room/kitchen firmly planted on the ‘do later’ list and I have accepted that I now live in a permanent obstacle course.

And life goes on.

Meanwhile, since I’m having to take it easy (back to grooming but not lifting or bending apparently) I decided it was time to share some of the stuff I made for the bazaar. I think I mentioned that the plan was to use stuff I had on hand and not go buying new stuff for this project, though I did have to buy a few things here and there… ‘obviously’, says the art and craft supply addict.

This is my favourite. I’ll be listing this in my Etsy shop soon as I get my act together to take more photos, but I confess I do love it… Eh. It will be too late to post it anywhere before Christmas very soon…

I made quite a few wreaths. All different. Some were made using ready made wreaths I had on hand, others I made using wire. I do love working with wire… Embellishments were whatever I could find or make to create something pretty.

Using blocks of wood I created cute little ‘scenes’. Here is one as an example.

I made quite a few of these little paper mache houses, some I attached to wooden bases and added stones and some greenery to create a scene, others were kept as singles.

I even made cycladic houses on blocks of recycled wood and beach pebbles, with space for tealights.

The only piece of driftwood I had was converted into a decorative piece using air dry clay ‘trees’.

I made a few more trees – some out of leftover bits of bamboo I had from making a cute little tray a long time ago, others were made of clay and lace and mounted on sticks. Come to think of it, I’m not sure I ever shared that tray… hm…

I made quite a few varied tree decorations using various materials…

Glass jars made some very cute candle holders in different sizes. Of course those aren’t real candles, but real candles can go into them.

Bigger jars became small Christmas scenes using whatever I had on hand and small fairy light strings glued to the lids.

I had a new pack of plain white socks that became a gaggle of snowmen.

I do like wall hangings, so I made a few of those using whatever I had in my vast collection of ‘things to use one day’.

This one has to be my favourite and I’m glad it didn’t sell! Turns out what I like doesn’t always correspond with what people in Greece like…

Here are some photos of my stall at the market. My table was full of all kinds of things, including little hats with Ferrero Roche chocolates inside.

By far the biggest hit of the bazaar was Vincent. I should have charged money for photos with him – I’d be rich now! Here he is, all fresh and cute at the start of the market.

And here he is after, having accepted gazillions of pats from strangers, listened to LOUD Christmas music on repeat, and been forced to stay out ALL day and well into the night.

So, now we’re on the downwards slide towards Christmas and the new year. There is always much to do, but hopefully there will be time ahead to get it all done. And share.

z

christmas is approaching fast

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve booked a stall at the local christmas bazaar for the first time so I’ve been madly preparing. I helped at the bazaar the first Christmas I had on Paros but never had my own stall. Plus this is the first time I’ll be on Paros for Christmas in ages.

Since I got back from Athens I’ve spent all my time pretty much preparing for the market. Bazaar. Whatever.

Firstly, I had to bring all the craft stuff in from outside where I’d stashed it in plastic boxes for the summer, or up from the basement – moves necessitated by having to make space in my tiny home for another person to live (mom) for months.

Now mom is in Athens and happy to be back in her own home with her friends and neighbours around her, and I can convert my home back into a studio. Which I’ve done.

Well, to be more exact, I’ve mainly converted into a mess.

I brought so many boxes of paint, paper, fabric, glues, beads, wooden objects, stones collected from the beach, cardboard boxes and anything and everything you can think of out of storage and scattered them around every inch of floorspace that poor Vincent has to hop from one place to another. It’s an obstacle course in here.

Oh and since its been impossible dry clothes outside on the line (which collapsed last week) I’m also using my home as a chinese laundry.

Mind you, I did do a bit of organising and tidying as I went along, but mostly I just worked and added to the mess.

I brought an outdoor ikea shelving unit into the bedroom to hold supplies after spraying it pink just for fun. That is now holding a lot of paint tins I had outside for ages… well, the ones that hadn’t dried out already.

I used a few temu clear plastic bags to store my felt, wool and fabrics so I can see what’s in them and put them in the wardrobe which used to hold mom’s clothing. Mom’s clothing has gone into plastic boxes and to the container for safe keeping till she returns. Then I’ll do a swap. Again.

My life is about constantly moving things from here to there, back again, then a smidge to the left.

There’s still a ton to do, but until the bazaar is over my life exists in two stages: BB and AB. Before Bazaar and After Bazaar. Nothing will get done (other than bazaar related stuff) till AB.

Then I’ll tackle the house – Clean first: Sweep the floor of all the glitter and bits of fluff and paper. Mop spots of dropped glue or glued glitter off the floor. Put away materials, paints, glues and whatever into wherever their homes will be from now on once I figure that out. Take out the easel and canvases and start on some new paintings. Maybe make some more felted critters…

So much to do. Such a short lifetime.

And I’ll start on other home things… like removing the disgusting mouldy grout around the bathtub and replacing with new. Moving stuff from the basement (which smells of damp and mould) to the container to keep it safe(r). Plus countless other things I am too tired to remember right now.

And yes. I’m tired. Some nights I’ve been up working till 2 or 3am. Not on purpose. I just got into the zone and didn’t realise the time.

Anyway, later. I’ll be sharing stuff I’ve made for the bazaar and photos from the days/nights.

On a related note, I’m still going for a swim and aqua aerobics almost every day. The weather had been pretty amazing. Then, after weeks of glorious weather, we have rain on the horizon for the bazaar.

That will be fun.

z

its that time…

Posted on by
4

You know. Before a trip, when you’re almost entirely ready, almost everything but the last minute things are packed, you have nothing to do really but wait till its time to go to bed and get up in the morning, do the last minute things, and go.

You can’t start anything new. Almost everything has been finished and put away, or thrown or given away. You can’t pack up the charger, the laptop, your toothbrush or Vincent’s toothbrush cause you’ll need them tonight and/or in the morning.

Its that wasting time time when you have time to think and maybe bore people.

So here I am, writing a post just cause I can’t think of anything else to do.

Its a nothing post and to be honest, I do wonder why I’m even bothering to keep posting in general. Its not like I have a ton of followers or I promote my Etsy shop enough to make it worthwhile.

I post for a few reasons. One reason is that recently a good friend told me that I have a style that’s obvious in my posts and that I need to keep that ‘voice’ when I write fiction.

So I need the practice.

Sometimes its to share stuff that might interest my friends, in one place, cause I’m too lazy to send out emails or, heaven forbid!, make a phone call. Gone are the days when I’d sit on the phone with friends for hours. Now when the phone rings I pick up in case its work, but I almost always groan inwardly thinking “leave me alone, I really don’t feel like talking to anyone now”.

(Except for you, you know who you are.)

How awful is that? Its not like back when I worked at the travel agency and spent 6 hours a day talking, talking, talking to everyone who walked in the door who wanted to buy a ferry ticket, or ask about activities on the island or where the closest public toilet was. Now, most of the day I talk to mom (and that can be so wearing, hearing the same stories over and over, and yes, I appreciate her and I know that one day I’d be giving anything to hear her stories one more time) or to a dog I might be grooming – which is very fulfilling in so many ways.

But I’m still too tired/bored/lazy to actually talk to someone on the phone.

How life has changed.

Years ago, when I first got Scooter and then Billybear, my ‘toyboys’ – two toy poodle pups, and moved into a house with Simon (the then boyfriend) we’d go out for a movie or dinner and all we wanted to do was get back home to the dogs!

I think that’s where I am right now. I’d rather be home with my Vincent. He and my art is all the company I need. Plus Netflix and audio books. I am content.

People say “aren’t you lonely?” “isn’t Paros too quiet in winter?” “how will you ever meet a man if you don’t go out and do things?”…

To them I say:

I am never lonely. I have Vincent. I have my craft and DIY projects. I have my computer and all the social life that lives in there. I have my art. It never crosses my mind to be lonely. And if I ever feel the need for company, I have good friends I can call or meet.

No, its not too quiet in winter. There is so much to do on Paros. In fact, sometimes there is TOO MUCH to do. If you have friends and have any modicum of a social circle, there is always something to do. In fact there have been times in winter when I’ve made excuses to NOT go out.

Well, I’m not that sure I want to meet a man. I’ve been alone too long now. I don’t know if a man will fit in my life. I tried the whole visualize and manifesting the man of my dreams, but I’m so ambivalent about it, its never going to work.

I love cooking what I want, when I want it. Snuggling on the couch with a hot chocolate on cold nights, with a warm blanket, woolly socks, comfy pants and a little poodle. I watch soppy Christmas movies or serial killer series and all sorts of things in between.

Saw this on Facebook the other day and its almost totally true.

I turn on my fairy lights and sometimes even sip a Baileys on ice. I love my quiet evenings at home, after a day spent painting or creating.

I also love Christmas, but living alone, I feel its silly to do the full on Christmas decorating thing. I would love to go all out one day, but for now, its the fairy lights inside and sometimes out, other times just in the window, which is a waste cause my window isn’t really visible to passersby, and a tiny table top Christmas tree… that’s about it. Kinda sad, but its home and its cozy. I think the fairy lights make it all better.

What is this post about?

I have no idea. I’m just writing things as they come to me. I’ve had dinner. Vincent and mom are fed. Mom is watching some crappy Greek TV and I’m at the kitchen table, watercolour pencils and brushes laid out next to me tempting me to start something new and I keep saying “No. there’s no time”…

I might go check on our bags. Make sure they are ready. Then again, I’ll be up early and I’ll have time to do that then. As well.

Ok. I’ll leave you be and see if the watercolours win out.

z

christmas is driving him to drink

Posted on by
1

I started needle felting again about a year ago, and I have to confess I’m hooked. I love it. Its such a zen feeling to sit quietly at the kitchen table stabbing wool and shaping it into anything I want. Often with the clashing sounds of an audio book on my mobile phone and mom’s tv programs… sigh…

I especially love creating little creatures with personalities, giving them more character by adding accessories to tell a story. This little bunny, for instance, started his gift wrapping full of Christmas spirit, but found he needed a big glass of red wine to get through it.

This little guy is the first in a series I planned to make for my Etsy shop this Christmas… the idea is to make little critters who represent different parts of the season. Including the snowmen in my last post, but these critters are all needle felted by hand, not made based on felted dryer balls I’d bought as an experiment.

Of course, the whole tariff thing in the USA has not done my shop any good, cause I sold quite a few of my creations to people in the US. And right now, I have a box waiting to be shipped to Canada but can’t send it due to the postal strike… Its hard enough to sell online without all this.

I’m not very good at promoting my work…

Anyway, I figured that since I’ve been absent for so long, I may as well share some of the things I’m made over the last few months.

One thing that’s helped heaps in making these small creations, is the light I bought on Temu. This thing is amazing. Its made for nail professionals and has enough space under it for me to work my wool comfortably. Its USB powered, and since I don’t have easy access to a power point at the kitchen table (cords are not user friendly to old women (mom) who are unsteady on their feet) I use a fantastic strong and fast charger I also got on Temu.

Needless to say I’m addicted to Temu.

I’m not proud of myself… but I can get so many good and useful things there. And of course some totally useless things, but I won’t mention that here… Unless you’d like me to share the failures…

Anyway, later.

z

OMG where have you been???

Posted on by
4

Yes, yes, yes. I know. I’ve been busy, I was abducted by aliens, the internet was playing up, the beach called, my suit didn’t get back from the cleaners, I was having an existential crisis and wondering whether I even wanted to keep blogging. Other things seemed more important.

Then for some strange reason, tonight, I had the urge to post again. Not that I have much of importance to say… just the usual rubbish I write about.

But for anyone out there in cyberland who may have been missing me, I am still here. Still alive. Mostly. Ok, I’m fine, I’m just being dramatic. Mom is fine. She’s been getting better all the time. I tell you, I’ve never met anyone as stubborn as my mom. In the best way. The doctors brought her back from the brink after she lost 2 of her sisters within a month of eachother (the youngest who dropped dead of a stroke without warning and the oldest who’d faded away over 6 years with dementia in a nursing home). The doctor and the physio visit to check up on mom regularly and she does whatever they tell her – she gets up every morning and does her exercises.

*I* don’t do exercises. Mom, at almost 94, does.

Ok, so I have been exercising. Before summer I finally decided that joining the gym (and actually attending) would be a good idea so I began pilates. Then soon as aqua aerobics started I switched to that. Let me tell you, nothing is as good as working out in the sea. No matter how awful or painful something might be, its better in the water.

Once aqua stopped mid September, a friend and I continue doing our own workouts. We meet at a convenient and protected beach and swim and work out with our leg and hand held ‘weights’ (of course they’re foam, not metal, we’re not suicidal!) So I’m keeping fit(ish).

I’ll be taking mom back to Athens soon, she insists, she’s getting better, I can’t refuse to let her go to her own home. And once I get back I’ll reinstate my gym membership and start doing some weights as well as pilates. And the plan is to keep swimming through winter. Its meant to be great for your immune system. Not to mention your skin.

I tell myself I’m going to swim in winter every year and soon as it gets cold I bundle up and pack away my swimmers. But with a partner in crime who actually swims in winter, I think I might be able to do it this year…

I have ordered a neoprene swim jacket. And a microbre hooded poncho I can wear and change under. That might help.

Stay tuned.

We’ve had a very busy summer. The entire family from Australia came to Greece this year. Everyone except for my brother and his partner. But my niece and nephew came, heaps of cousins came, my niece brought her partner and kids, my brother’s ex wife and her new partner. The place was hopping.

Its one reason mom bounced back. All those people to see. Especially the great grandchildren. So gorgeous. So cute. So loud…

On other fronts, work has been okay. Grooming dogs and doing workshops. All good.

Very little creative time. Too much happening to concentrate on creativity. But I have begun needle felting again, plenty of painting stones, some smaller stuff. You know… I have to do something or I go crazy.

I leave you with a photo of the most recent needle felted creations for Christmas… made by upcycling felt dryer balls by needle felting and adding accessories (bought and made).

Hopefully I’ll be back again soon, with catch up posts.

Till then,

z xxx

Shared at Funky Junk Interiors Upcycle Ideas Party

going home soon

Posted on by
2

My life in Athens has been a round of sorting pills, helping mom with everything, dressing her, putting on her back brace or taking it off. I walk Vincent on the hill near the house with a friend and her elderly dog most days. I run errands, do the cooking and grocery shopping.

So far I’ve learned to make greek lentil soup, bean soup, octopus with pasta, spinach rice and cabbage rice, chicken and vegetable soup, yiouvetsi, trahana soup* and I’m sure more things I can’t remember right now.

Trahana is something I’ve always hated. Yuck:

I can’t say its all been fun. I don’t usually cook greek food. Sure, I do cook something that resembles greek food now and then, but not often. I’m more of a stir fry, chinese, thai, vietname or italian food kinda girl. I’m also not a ‘cook often’ kinda girl.

I don’t fry unless you count oven or air-fryer frying.

And I never add a excess olive oil to anything. Mom is like “did you add olive oil while it cooks?”

“Ummm, no. I browned the onions in a bit of oil. You didn’t specifically tell me to add oil so I didn’t. I’ll add some now.”

Drizzle a tiny bit…

“And at the end, once its cooked, add a little more on top.”

Hmph.

When I defrosted pasta sauce from some tomatoes mom had cooked and frozen, I actually drained the excess oil OFF in order to make pasta sauce.

ugh.

And to think I always told everyone that MY mother doesn’t use a lot of oil in her food like most greeks do – dishes swimming in oil slicks to rival the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Yuck. She’d spent enough time in Australia to cut down drastically on oil.

Anyway.

Tomorrow we return to Paros. Me, mom, Vincent and a ton of stuff. We already sent 5 boxes and a suitcase ahead of us by transport company.

Mom doesn’t travel light. She used to fill her car to the brim when she used to drive and lived in her own unit. She’d take everything with her to Paros and bring a ton of things back each year.

“Mom, don’t they sell toilet paper on Paros?” “Its cheaper here.” Sheesh.

This time we are NOT taking everything with us, but her medication alone filled one box.

But this time she doesn’t know how long she’s staying, so she had to be prepared for all seasons. To be honest, at this stage I don’t know when, or even if, we’ll be back to Athens to stay. It all depends on mom’s health. Plus, I live on Paros, I don’t want to be leaving my home, friends, life and work for too long.

We will see. My life is all about taking it day by day.

z

why i’ve been missing in action

Posted on by
2

I’ve been in Athens for more than a month so far caring for my mother. If you remember, she’d been unwell all last summer from various falls, COVID, pneumonia and pain. She recovered enough to return to her home in Athens and was even able to walk to the little park opposite our house to enjoy the sunshine on nice days.

In October she fell again and seemed to recover quickly from that till about mid January when the pain became unbearable. Of course she kept me in the dark as to how bad it was and luckily her friends and neighbours helped her with things like the housework and food preparation.

She was taken to a doctor who told her she needed to either stay in bed* or put on a brace. My mother refused both options. Stubborn.

*Bed was not an option in my mind. At her age, bed rest for any period of time means she’d never get up again.

When I learned how bad things were I came and began to care for her. She’s in a bad way. She has multiple osteoporotic fractures in her spine from the various falls (or just from living, according to the doctor) and there is no real ‘fix’.

Alternatives were bandied about (mostly by hopeful me) like a cement like substance injected into the vertebrae to tie them together, spinal fusion, anything, grasping at straws, but the doctors all say that due to her age (93) these options are not really viable. They say they can cause more problems, may not in fact help with the pain, and put her at risk of complications.

So, it seems pain killers and management are the way to go.

hmph.

Mom has had issues with constipation all her life due to a genetic issue, so taking opioids is not an option at all. So she’s living on Paracetamol.

She’s been fitted with a brace that she’s been told to wear for a month, then have another MRI to see how things are going.

Right. As if old fractures will heal after all this time… allow me to be skeptical.

Mom is wearing it and complaining, naturally, but she has no choice. She doesn’t want to take the pain pills either for fear of constipation (though with various stool softeners, that’s not an issue) and because ‘they don’t help at all’. She’s also refusing to do more tests cause she’s ‘not a guinea pig’ and its too painful to go have the tests done.

I don’t blame her… she can barely go from one room to another without intense pain and wearing herself out, imagine having to go to some lab in a taxi then wait her turn, and then get on a metal slab… but… what can I do?

Its been bad enough mom called/calls/wants me to call various doctors as if someone will tell her something different. sigh.

We’re in Athens for another month now, then I’m taking her to Paros. I don’t believe she will get any better, so I may as well go where I have some chances of earning money. Its either that or I give everything up and stay in Athens. Not that hasn’t crossed my mind…

I’m a bit depressed. When I arrived I’d brought needle felting stuff and I’ve made a few critters which I can’t finish cause I don’t have all my stuff here to finish them. Plus I ran out of steam. I started trying to paint and feel like an untalented hack. Nothing works. So I care for mom and watch a lot of stuff on Netflix.

As if that wasn’t all bad enough, last Friday my mom’s youngest sibling – her closest sister – had what we think was an aneurism. She’d been complaining of headaches and was leaving a friend’s house when they found her lying unconscious on the ground in the orchard with multiple broken bones. They flew her to Athens to an intensive care unit where she never woke up, dying 24 hrs later. It might sound harsh, but she is lucky she passed away and didn’t linger. She was already struggling with the beginnings of dementia, broken bones and whatever other issues she may have had wouldn’t have left her with much quality of life.

So, my life currently revolves around caring for mom. She can barely stand using a walking frame or move without intense pain from her back down her legs. She’s getting weaker. I dress her and put the brace on for her in the morning and undress and remove it at night, I prepare her meals (and let me tell you, I never liked cooking much… especially greek food!) she spends most of the day in the living room where she sits or lies on the couch all day.

At least she has friends and neighbours visit her here and help the time pass. And she has the phone almost permanently attached to her ear. With her sister’s death the both the landline and mobile have been ringing constantly.

I have no inspiration. I want to go home but worry about how I’ll manage to work when mom needs me at home so much. I can groom from home, or I could go out and do max 2 dogs but my time away from home will be limited because she will need help.

I’m speaking to someone about removing my bath tub and putting in a shower so she can get in and out. And I’m trying to figure out how I can make my tiny home more comfortable for the two of us.

So, that’s my news in case you were wondering. Hopefully I’ll get inspired again and finish my felted critters or do something to share. Till then… its been nice knowing ya!

z

needle felting like crazy

Posted on by
Reply

Lately it seems like all I want to do is curl up on the couch with my ‘work tray’ and coffee table and stab wool with sharp implements.

Maybe it’s because it’s been really cold and windy and not at all inviting out there…

Maybe its cause needle felting is a more immediate way to create sculptures – for instance, it’s so much quicker than papier mâché which needs to be done in stages with long periods of drying in between.

Plus, working with needle felting gives me the opportunity to make miniature stuff – something I’ve always had a passion for.

Whatever the reason, I’ve been working on these little figures most afternoons and evenings and listing them in my Etsy shop.

Here is baby boy mouse with his bunny and milk bottle.

And the baker mouse with her fresh loaves of bread and her baker’s cap.

A middle aged couple on the way to the beach with towels and soft drinks in hand.

A little gardening mouse in her ladybug boots.

A homeboy mouse with a hoodie, untied sneakers and snacks.

A ladylike mouse whipping up cream to top a pie.

And last but not least, the best Elvis impersonator of the mouse world, Elvis Mousely.

These little guys are so much fun to make. They’re done in a couple of days mostly, depending on the time I have to spend on them and the bits I need to make – like the shoes and any props I can’t buy. Sometimes I make my own clothes (like Elvis’ jacket and the aprons on the cook and gardener), or footwear which means I have to let the air dry clay I use in most cases dry. And any painting I need to do… But they’re quicker to make than the papier mâché dogs I had been making in the past. Not to say I won’t be making more of those!

My needle felting workshops are doing ok as well. Given this is a small island and a lot of people leave over winter and are too busy to do any crafts in summer, I never expected these workshops to take off, but they are great fun for those who do join in.

But I have to get back to painting and not spending all my time stabbing wool. I have 2 commissions and the series I’m working on waiting for me!

z

painting #3 in a series

Posted on by
1

I finished the 3rd painting yesterday finally. It had only been sitting on my easel since before Christmas and I’d barely touched it.

Feels good to have it done finally.

Now a new canvas is sitting on my easel, in the living room (ie my studio) starting at me accusingly as I sit and felt, or do nothing.

I have some ideas of what will go on it, but so far all I’ve done is prepared the canvas. Better get my paints out again as I also have a cat commission to finish by next week.

For now the newest painting is hanging in my bedroom and I love it there.

I have no idea where I’ll hang the next paintings I plan on doing will do… I am fast running out of wall space. Not that I had a lot to start with…

I’ll have to think of something.

Meanwhile I continue to work on STUFF.

The felting workshop I did this week went great. We all had fun and got something to show for it at the end. It might only be a needle felted BALL, but hey, its the start of something great! You gotta learn the basic technique first and that’s what the first beginners session was about.

Next week we’ll add colours and attach parts to make the ball into something more interesting.

Then I have to plan my second beginners workshop series and add in an advanced one for those wanting to take it further.

Such fun.

z

painting #2 in a series

Posted on by
2

I finished this one quite a while ago, its been on my wall long enough to blend in with the furniture now. Still, I hadn’t managed to share it, so here it is for your enjoyment. 🙂

Its my second in the series I’m working on (sometimes more actively than others) which are mostly on recycled canvases and picturing the beauty of our island and the ugliness of humans with their disrespect of their surroundings.

Here is painting #1 in case you missed it.

This is a subject close to my heart cause I really hate what is happening on Paros with its over-tourism and the continual construction, turning a cycladic paradise into another version of every resort island in the world.

In summer its noisy, with loud music on every side, people blocking the small streets, motorbikes, quads, traffic jamson the roads and ferries lining up in the bay spewing out black smoke.

In winter, instead of the welcome quiet, we mostly have the sounds of construction in the countryside.

I grieve for the Paros I knew growing up. But while the government cares more for what it can make from tourism and ‘growth’ and ignores the fact that it’s destroying the very thing that brings in the tourists and money, not to mention that growth without consideration for the future is like cutting off your nose to spite your face, this will continue till Paros loses its character and attraction.

But it is what it is. We can’t do anything about it. Two years ago the residents of Paros rebelled againt the beach bars taking up so much space on beaches that people who didn’t want to (or could afford to) pay for loungers and umbrellas couldn’t find space to set their towels. The media called it ‘the towel movement’. We had protests on beaches and succeeded in the municipality enforcing the limits of beach bar space and allowing space for ‘free’ beaches.

Well that backfired. The government over-rode the local municipality and gave out permits to bars as it pleased, and now keeps the money itself.*

Ah. I love the smell of corruption in the morning.

I have a ton to say about it all, but I better get off my soap box and get back to my little life and creativity. That’s what my blog is about.

So, till next time!

*I am no expert. I try to remain totally uninformed on the subject of politics. My statements are based on what I am told by people who are involved with the municipality and local government and what I can glean from other sources despite myself. Its like a car wreck… I don’t want to know but can’t help looking.