so, how are things – you ask, not really wanting to know the answer…

Posted on November 7, 2022 by zefiart

How did I go from ‘things are settling down now summer is over, and I can finally get back to being creative’, to total silence again… ?

Let me see if I can put it in a nutshell:

Mom things to deal with, a death in the family, a ferry almost disaster, absent gas, an appliance put on this earth to test me, a thunderstorm, power outages, and a flat tyre.

And now for the nuts sans shell for those who want to read on…

October 28th one of my uncles died. He was the second youngest of my dad’s brothers. He was 82 and hadn’t been really well, but he wasn’t like, real sick either, so it was sudden and a shock. He’d been the Don Corlene of the Famelis family for so many years I guess we thought he was not just omnipotent, but immortal too…

On the up side, since October 28 is a public holiday, I got a 3 day weekend.

On the down side, it wasn’t a fun weekend.

Mom was due to leave on Saturday. When she told me about my uncle’s passing I picked up her tickets on the way over. Like… was she going to leave right after he died? Stupid. But then I also left home without my bag, my wallet and wearing my incredibly sexy pink crocs with striped socks.

Whatever.

That evening my brain kicked in and I called the travel agency to change mom’s ticket to open so she could travel on another day. All good.

Sunday, before the funeral, I went past and picked up the new tickets for Monday.

Monday morning mom called me at work from the port, distraught. The ticket was wrong and they wouldn’t let her on the ferry. Her sister was already on board. Mom was in a panic but the little Hitler at the port was hell bent on not letting her on.

The ticket had the correct time and ferry name but instead of ‘Paros to Pireaus’ the ticket said ‘Pireaus to Paros’. What? There are no ferries from PIR to PAS at that time, any day of the week.

Especially that particular ferry which was, at that very moment, loading cars, trucks and passengers the wharf on Paros.

I called the agent, the woman who changed the ticket, demanding she fix it. She said what could she do? she was alone in the office… the ferry was due to leave in 5 minutes! I suggested she lock the office and run to the port and sort it out. Mom is an old woman with a heart condition, and this was too much.

Back and forth calls – me trying to find a solution and mom telling me what I should tell say and do. Like I’m 10 years old…

The story? The tickets were originally for Saturday but when they printed out, the date and time was correct but origin and destination were wrong for some reason. Computers, right? You know what they say? “To err is human. But to really F#@K things up takes a computer”.

The little fuhrer could have just looked at the old ticket and said “Hmm.. the old ticket was correct and paid for. The new ticket has part of it right, but there is no ferry from PIR to PAS at this time, so why don’t you drive on in and totter up to the the purser to sort it out like a good little old lady?”

But no. His brain was so wrapped in ‘by the book’ that there was no room for out of the box thinking. Or common sense.

I had asked the lady at the agency to just issue new tickets and run them to the port. When she tried to issue new tickets for mom she couldn’t cause mom was apparently already booked in for that trip! (duh) So she issued them in my name.

Of course, the genius port officer refused to accept the new tickets those cause they were in another name!

In the end someone was able to argue mom onto the ferry. Last vehicle on.

Sheesh. And me at work, in a meeting, trying to sort this out.

Later that evening mom called. She didn’t have any gas. Everything in the new house is on natural gas… No gas to cook with, no hot water, nothing. Wonderful. And I’m meant to help how? Being millions of miles away and having no idea what to do?

After over an hour on various calls to the gas provider – who politely told me that their job was just to bill us, they had nothing to do with any issues we might have – i called mom and she said it was working again. One of her neighbours said she had to run water in the sink and it would then turn itself on. So it was working fine…

Thanks mom.

Next morning, another distress call from mom. The oven wasn’t working.

I bought this whiz bang oven at a great price from a place in the north of Greece, a display model top of the line Gorenje oven. It came with a manual in some unknown language. I was able to find and download one in English and when the oven was put in place around May/June this year, I tried to set the clock. It began flashing PLOC which I take means the oven is locked, and I never managed to unlock it, no matter what I tried.

At the time I called the Gorenje distributor in Greece. Nope, they couldn’t send anyone out as I was not reporting a fault and their service department only deals with faults. Besides, he said, they don’t support that particular model as they weren’t the distributor of Gorenje products at that time.

They gave me a number for an uncertified repair company, who said no, we can’t fix that, call the distributor. I called the same guy back and finally he told me the name of the old distributor.

He could have started with that.

Anyway, I called and booked in a demonstration and service/repair if needed. another load of calls yesterday. The repair man. Mom. The repair man. Mom. Mom. Mom. Telling me what to say. What to do.

This is not over yet… chapters 3, 4 and more are coming. The oven is either faulty or broken cause it wont unlock but we don’t know why. I’m speaking to the seller and they are no, apparently, going to try to send someone to fix it or diagnose the issue and will replace it if need be.

This weekend I’ve had two power outages. One for 12 hours and one for 24. Everyone in my area, in the same building – right next door and above me in fact! – had power after a few hours but I had to wait 24 hours and 2 visits from the electricity company to get it fixed.

I can’t explain it… but somehow I’m getting power from somewhere else, like, perhaps the moon, cause they came and checked the building and pronounced it ‘fixed’ when I still had no power.

Being at home in the dark without internet and a flat kindle sucks.

But its fixed now.

And this morning I get up to go to work and find I have a flat tyre.

Ain’t life grand?

Anyone want to trade a life on Paros, complete with a mom who cooks great greek food, for an isolated farm in Australia?

catching up – a mixed bag

Posted on October 1, 2022 by zefiart

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…

happy birthday to me!

Posted on September 13, 2022 by zefiart

Another year older.

And my body just had to rub it in when I woke up with a sore back.

I’m having fun despite it all. I had coffee and pavlova with mom and an aunt, and I’m having dinner with good friends.

What more can a girl ask for?

That was a rhetorical question cause of course there are a ton of things I COULD ask for…

But I won’t. Right now, I’m just gonna go put on a pretty frock (well, pants and a pretty top) and go have some sushi!

Yum.

i jinxed myself

Posted on August 8, 2022 by zefiart

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!

finally, a bit of time to make art

Posted on August 8, 2022 by zefiart

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.

cluttercore – well there you go!

Posted on April 22, 2022 by zefiart

What is Cluttercore? Embracing a Beautiful Mess!

I am vindicated.

Seems the new fashion is clutter! I’m way ahead of my time…

As you know, I live in a small apartment of 50m2 with one bedroom, kitchen/living room and bathroom and two small outdoor spaces. Uncovered, so useless for doing any work.

So, my home is a studio. I live, cook, and eat amongst my ‘stuff’.

A couple of weeks ago, in my efforts to get my art mojo back, I put away things I don’t plan on using again soon – ie all my sewing, textile and bead stuff. I still need to finish that job as there are still things around I can do without having at my fingertips. Plus, I’ll probably still need this and that again. Story of my life.

Anyway, all I want out at this time is my painting stuff: canvases, paints, pastels, easel, paper, marble pieces, rocks, etc. Anything I can paint on… or with.

The rest can all go in the wardrobe and outside in weatherproof boxes.

I really need more space… I sound like a broken record.

Anyway, my mojo is back. Where all I did for a couple of months after I got home from work or dog grooming was to lie on the couch and watch Netflix, now I come home and paint while listening to audiobooks (or watching Netflix). A much better use of my time.

I not only have my mojo back, but its a strong one. I WANT to paint. I love this feeling.

Also, its healthier… When I lie on the couch like a sack of potatoes all I want to do is eat and nibble… Not good. I’d lost so much weight after my surgery February last year I feel horrible about gaining half it back. Time to get serious about NOT nibbling.

So, I have stuff to begin sharing again now, its just a matter of starting to post again. Finding the time and energy between layers of paint or working.

Meanwhile, in the vein of a general life update, I’ve begun a new job… this isn’t what I really wanted, but its all year round so that’s good. Its an office job in a real estate agency.

The pros: They’re dog people and love Lainee, so she can come to work with me every day. I meet new people. Its a pleasant environment and I really like the other office girl. The boss is nice and his wife is nicer. Its airconditoned so I won’t melt in summer and its close to home. Plus its a steady income all year round. Its 9-3 every day except Sunday (having only one day off is a bummer), but then again, even most office jobs in Greece tend to be 6 days a week.

The cons: I really didn’t want an office job. Again. I’ve spent so much of my life behind a desk and in front of a computer. Oh well. A few more years… The pay sucks. I mean really sucks. But I’m meant to get a small percentage of the commission when a property sells, so let’s see how that works out.

And I have plans. Or dreams. Call them what you will, but I’m focussed on them right now. And hopefully, as Kevin Costner said, “build it and they will come”. We’ll see.

I’m putting it out there, envisioning what I want and if the universe hears me, it will happen!

safety pin brooch and new shop

Posted on January 31, 2022 by zefiart

I forgot to share this little baby when I made it. I was putting away my crafty sewy stuff in preparation for going back home to Paros and got side-tracked – as you do.

I found a few baby safety pins I had in my collection and suddenly got the urge to make a brooch out of one of them. I’m actually really pleased with the result.

I also spent some time the last few days trialling a new shop on ecwid. You can visit it here.

I’m only on the free plan to see how it goes and that only allows 10 products at a time so I concentrated on a Valentines theme, but the paid versions promise big things like linking the shop to instagram and FB. It sounds good, but I’m reluctant to pay for a shop I dont know will do well.

I still have my etsy shop here and my CafePress shop here but neither of those are setting the world on fire. With Etsy I pay a small amount per year to have the shop opened and a percentage on sales. The CafePress shop only gives me a commission on sales. Its been a long time since I updated or added new products to either store.

Over the years I’ve successfully sold on ebay but it just got too expensive and compicated (postage has always been my downfall!) – however they do have a huge audience so I may give it another go one day. When I lived in Tasmania I also sold a lot of stuff on the local FB buy/sell pages, here I’m not sure how well that would go. Then again, in Tasmania I did the occasional market and sold things there so there was always a bit of extra $$ coming in.

My problem (I think) is that I don’t stick to one thing and dedicate myself to that. I see people who paint and who dedicate themselves to doing that and do well. I see people who make jewellery and do well. Or macrame. Or crochet. They pick something they enjoy and are good at and work hard at it.

Me, on the other hand – I do a little bit of everything. I have ADHD when it comes to creativity. I’ll be inspired to make textile jewellery and will do that for a while. Then I’ll get bored and move on to fixing up a piece of furniture. Or painting. Or sewing little zombie dolls or monster critters. Or make a curtain out of doilies. I love variety. And I love trying new things.

In the end I think markets and selling online through local channels worked for me cause the stuff I made in Tasmania was something people were into there. Here, I haven’t quite yet found my ‘niche’ creatively speaking.

Since coming to Greece I have made and sold paintings on stone and marble, spring wreaths and other decor, pet portraits on commission, textile items… so it hasn’t been a complete failure, but its not quite ‘there’ for me yet.

I wish I could afford to open a shop of my own. A place to work and sell whatever it is I get inspired to create.

Ah dream on…

nostalgia – 1995

Posted on January 14, 2022 by zefiart

I was going through a ton of photos that belonged to mom, my aunt, my brother and me – trying to sort them out and put them in some sort of order. I think I mentioned mom has so many photos in frames of all sizes, on walls and on every surface in the house. I needed to contain them somehow, keep her memories while limiting the need for wall space.

I spent two days on that project alone, finishing it this afternoon. Its not really finished either. There are still too many framed photos to decide what to do with. And I’m sure I’ll come across more in my sorting and packing.

I have 4 albums I’ve been putting photos in, divided more or less: one with very old photos of mom and dad’s family, their wedding, our early life in Australia. Another with my brother and his first family, Another with my brother’s yougest son, another for me and other random pics. They’re not in perfect date order either as that’s a nightmare in itself, but at least mom can now pic and album knowing what she’ll find in it.

I bought 2 pretty frames that hold 8 photos each, one has a small corkboard on the side so mom can pin up new photos when she gets them. I plan to buy a piece of cork to put in another frame to do the same, perhaps even adapt the Christmas frame with wire and pegs so mom has plenty of places to show new photos.

Anyway, while doing this I found a couple of small albums of my own. Most of my photos are in storage already, but I found these in the attic above the hallway. They’re from 1995 when I was leaving Australia the first time to be with my father who was sick. At the time it was like now: I came for dad and had no idea when, or if, I would return to Australia.

Looking back brings so many great memories, and I look at my younger, gorgeous self and wonder how I could ever have thought I was fat! I was perfect.

Before I left I had a couple of goodbye nights out – one with one of my favourite Melbourne country bands, Rough Cut and my cowboy hat wearing, two steppin’ friends:

With the singer of the band, always a groupie.

With my rocker, non-cowboy hat wearing boyfriend.

The other night was with my most favourite Melbourne rockabilly band The Straight 8s.

My boyfriend in his element. Too cool to dance though…

Who said you can’t twostep to a rockabilly band?

A few pics from a holiday in Queensland, where I met up with some line dancing friends.

Love affair with Syvester at Movie World on the Gold Coast.

Some random rockabilly event pics…

Where else would we be? At a car show. Wearing my two tone dancing shoes. I still have the pencil skirt I made – its impossibly tiny.

Oh boy. Its bittersweet. I miss that girl. I realise I’ll never be her again, but I miss the slimness, the fitness, the lifestyle: the dancing mostly. I guess I could have that in Athens, more or less, as there’s a swing/jive thing happening here, but without a dance partner and with COVID… eh.

At least I have these wonderful memories.

grade school autographs

Posted on December 24, 2021 by zefiart

One of the best (and worst) things about packing up a house you/your family has lived in for 50 years is finding things you held onto, thinking you’d value them so you couldn’t get rid of them.

Well, I’ve found a ton of stuff. Some mine, some my brother’s, a ton of mom’s. Not so many of Dad’s things.

Among my things was a little autograph book from when I finished Junior High – Ursuline School in Athens.

The poor little book was falling apart but I photographed the autographs for posterity. A lot of these people I don’t remember or have lost touch with over the years, some I’m lucky enough to still have in my life.

Peter Pontikos is still in touch with my brother.

One thing I always say is that I never win things. As in luck. I have won lots in my life, but always for work I’ve done. This was the second thing I won in my life – an essay competition.

That same year I won a drawing competition for an animal welfare society with a poster showing a puppy who just wanted a loving home. We never got the poster back. Mom still laments its loss.

Today was another day of packing and stacking. Well emptying cupboards and piling up things for mom to sort through. I am trying to be ruthless but you know mothers… I have to make sure I’m not giving away anything she wants to keep. So I piles tuff for her to check out. And only toss out what is obviously not worth keeping.

a little christmas

Posted on December 16, 2021 by zefiart

Somewhere among all the sorting and searching and packing and getting rid of stuff, I took the time to make a little Christmas display for mom. I’d seen this on Pinterest and though mine is nothing like it, not vintage, just cheap dollar store decorations, it inspired me to make my version.

This is how the frame looked before I painted it white. Too gold for me. Now you can only see bits of gold.

I added two photos of the grandkid/great grandkid for mom and voila, a little Christmas in our 70s kitchen.

The little trees and little house light up.

In my clearing out of old drawers I found this key. No idea what it’s from but I love it!

The beauty of this frame is that it can be used for anything, any time of the year. All you need is imagination.

Meanwhile I’m working out daily. Up and down 2 flights of stairs countless times. With weights (bags and boxes). I’ll have a body to die for come spring. And no gym fees!

Today I went up and pretty much finished the laundry phase of the tidy up. My theory is that once the laundry is empty of stuff that’s been in there for decades, there will be room for newer stuff mom can’t bring herself to get rid of.

Actually, I’m still storing old stuff in there – stuff I brought from Australia that don’t fit in my little house, old photo albums and sentimental stuff my brother and I both left years ago etc. The only stuff I’m getting rid of is the stacks and stacks of old clothes, linen, towels and bags etc. Things which were stuck in there and forgotten. Some of the stuff is still in its original wrappers.

My pile of stuff to donate is growing. The pile of stuff for mom to sort through is growing. And I’m listing the odd thing on Facebook. A lot of stuff would sell well in a garage sale, but we don’t have those here, and FB isn’t a good place to sell things worth little money. Athens is too big for someone to drive to pick up something unless its worth it.

If the weather is good tomorrow I’ll have another go at the ivy. Well, after I finish up upstairs, photographing and listing.

For today I’m done. Tired. Sore. Worn out. But satisfied that things are happening.

Update:

I found some old baubles so I was able to give the frame a more vintage look after all!

junk4joy

painting, recycling, creating and living on a greek island

Category Archives: life