You know how I said how impatient I was to get home and get stuck into painting again? How I was ‘in the zone’ after so long?

Ha. I jinxed myself, ’cause I haven’t touched a brush, pastel or bit of cardboard since. I haven’t even felt the urge to get up off the couch and touch my artwork… let alone tackle the paperwork I MUST do.

Mind you, Sunday was horribly hot. I groomed a dog in the morning, then rushed to the PAWS (Paros Animal Welfare Society) annual general meeting, then had lunch with friends and it was all I could do to get home and lie on my bed with the fan on. I got up around 6.30pm and did a few handy-type things around the house (maybe I’ll share one day, but they’re definitely ‘zefi’ things, ‘don’t try this at home’ stuff), before heading down to visit with my cousins for a bit.

Then today at work was a day from hell. Complete with a visit to the dentist at the end of it.

So, here’s something I prepared earlier. Prickly pear on marble. This is a larger piece than I normally do and right now its sitting in the office on the bookcase.

I should put a big sticker on it with a price. Maybe someone will buy it for the big villa they’re buying!

I mentioned the dentist, didn’t I?

You know how people are always saying ‘where did all the money you earned over summer go?’ (well, they ask me that!) ha. Today I paid 400e for a tooth. The one I had problems with before summer. I’m getting it crowned. The one I’d already paid 300e for previously for a root canal treatment. Whammy.

Next up: Implants – double whammy.

Unless I go for a dental plate. Great.

This post suddenly took a dark turn… time to get off here and do something useful. Maybe wash a dish or two. Maybe water the plants and fight the mosquitos. Maybe just lie on the couch and watch Netflix or Stremio.

Hey, now there’s a funner topic! What have you been watching?

Since I disappeared from blogland, I’ve watched a ton of stuff. I watched all of Chicago Fire till I ran out of episodes, and I have all of Chicago PD and Chicago Med on a hard drive thanks to a friend, so I have weeks and weeks of viewing ahead!

I watched Better Call Saul.

Misfits (an english series about people with odd powers).

I got caught up with Greys Anatomy and the Good Doctor. And the Walking Dead.

I’m currently watching Russian Doll, and started watching House of the Dragon.

Next will be the Umbrella Academy series 3.

I tried The Imperfects, but I’m not sure I like it.

See? I do stuff!

z

I know I’ve pulled the biggest disappearing act since Harold Holt went for a swim back in 1967… but I’ve had my reasons.

Did I mention I have a new job? Yeah, another summer, another job. But this time its a job that lasts all year round, not just the season. Which is good and bad. Good in that I have an income all year round. Bad in that I can no longer do what I please for the winter. No more galivanting to destinations near and far. No more free time to spend making art while the wind howls outside. No more time in Athens with mom. I have to go to the office every day, 6 days a week.

Yep. Not quite what I dreamed of. I don’t think anyone thinks “Hey, I’ll go live on a greek island and work in an office 6 days a week!” But I have dreams and I need the money. What little of it there is.

So, given the job isn’t going to save me, I’m still grooming. I bit the bullet and registered as a business – which basically costs me more than I make grooming in a year – but at least I am legal now and don’t have to look over my shoulder when I groom. And I can advertise and build up my business. So that one day I can quit my ‘day job’ and concentrate on the things I love: dogs and art.

I dream of a house with a studio on our land in a quiet area near the beach, where I can work with dogs and make art and make stuff and upcycle stuff and remake furniture and do whatever the heck I want to do in my own time far from the noise of the busy road and the obnoxious neighbours who have no respect for other people who may have to work the next day or whatever.

Remind me to tell you how much fun they are.

Its been a crazy summer. Working in for a real estate agency has been quite educational. I now hear someone mention a 250,000 euro budget for a house and laugh. I can’t help myself. Prices have gone so high that we have next to nothing (or at least nothing you would want to live in) for that much any more.

Sure, compared to other countries, we might still be cheap, but you don’t get much at the low to mid range any more. I’m so lucky I bought when I did. I’d be living under a bush on a blanket with Lainee if I hadn’t.

Rentals are an endangered species. It was already bad when I got here 3.5 years ago, now its impossible. Owners want to rent everything as an air bnb and no one wants to rent their property on a yearly basis. People are desperate to find somewhere to live that they can actually live in 12 months a year – not to move in in September and leave in June. Its ridiculous.

Anyway, I’ll get to a lot of that stuff in later posts. I have a ton of thoughts, criticisms, observations, social comments and other goodies to share.

For now I just wanted to show a sign of life to start with and share a couple of marble pieces made while my brother was visiting. Did I mention he came to visit from Australia? No, I didn’t cause I was in my disappeared mode at the time. Work, grooming, a visitor and the beach. How much more could I possibly do?

Turns out, I could do a few bits of marble. Not the best photos, but the are what they are. They are gone now – gifted.

After Peter left I went into a couch potato mode for almost a whole month. All I did was work/groom/eat/watch Netflix. Thats it. Oh, and go for a swim, water the plants and do the occasional load of washing. Having one of the hottest Augusts in living memory didn’t help.

Now, I feel rested and the weather cooled down a bit (though it will apparently heat up again) and I’ve got the itch. I’ve started painting again and suddenly I can’t wait to get home to get stuck into it.

Which is great!!!

Anyhow, its nice to be back! I’ll be sharing some stuff I’ve done over the last few months, but its not a ton.

z