my lainee, the best dog in the world

Posted on May 20, 2023 by zefiart

This is a photo of Lainee taken on a ferry trip we went on together with friends a couple of years ago. Somehow its the right photo for the start of this post, because it makes me think of rainbow bridges and travels to another place.

I lost Lainee about 3 weeks ago now, which is why I haven’t posted in ages. It has been very hard to lose her and the house feels empty and I constantly feel like something is missing.

Lainee had been having issues since about Christmas but the vets couldn’t find anything wrong with her. Still, she would be up and down, having diarhhea one moment, vomitting the next, but tests showed nothing. We were in Athens at the time so I took her to a specialist for an ultrasound and he said she had some sludge in her gall bladder but that shouldn’t be a problem…

On returning to Paros, more tests, the vet said her white blood cell count was very high, and kept getting higher, and thought it was a problem with her liver. So she went on antibiotics and pills for her liver, as well as daily doses of IV fluids for a while but continued to get worse.

I had originally tried a different diet for gastro issues, that helped, but then she lost her appetite. She ate boiled chicken and rice for a while, then stopped eating that. She was eating roast chicken ravenously when we decided to take her to Athens for another specialist ultrasound.

The second ultrasound, only a month after the first, showed her she had a cystocelle gallbladder and it had to be removed asap or she would die. I took her to the animal hospital that evening and they monitored her for 24 hours before surgery. I had googled it and there was a decent chance she would make it… however the first 72 hours were the most dangerous. However, they said that when they opened her up things were way worse than they expected. Her gallbladder was stone hard and stuck to her diaphragm and liver, and there were abnormalities on her spleen so they removed that as well. It was a HUGE operation.

She made it through the surgery and seemed to be recovering. Unfortunately, she went downhill and died 3 days after surgery.

Here are some memories of my baby girl.

When I first got her, almost exactly 4 years ago.

Lounging on the aqua flokati throw at home.

Resting at home on a cushion made from one of my old jumpers.

Laine always loved cushions and pillows. The more the merrier.

What did I say, the more cushions, the better she liked it.

On the couch with my first teddy bear, now her bear.

Trying a new look with close clipped ears.

Sharing the couch with Erik, our kitten.

At the beach, with the wind in her ears, was one of her favourite places.

Lainee was a person. No lying on the floor for her. Chairs or couches were the only way to go.

Out and about in the car, always on the way somewhere.

Guess what mom just bought… a flower pot full of blooms!

Showing off one of her many winter coats.

Out at another cafe somewhere, always with me.

Lying on my coat when out at a cafe so no one would complain that she was on an armchair.

Sitting pretty in a friend’s framing shop.

In Athens, with one of my childhood stuffed toys.

Keeping an eye on grandma cause she’s always cooking something nice.

This is grandma’s chair, but she lets me sit here.

Visiting my cousin Zefi, who she loved, always wanting to sit next to her.

Aunty Zefi doesn’t really mind if I sit on her cushions…

Visiting friends – this is where I learned that she loved teddy bears.

Visiting my aunt, who never let dogs on her furniture before.

Sleeping at the office while I was at work.

Looking over the landscape from a friend’s verandah.

Lainee’s first visit to a cafe when I first got her. I think she enjoyed it!

From then on, she loved going out for drinks…

Hot rakomelo is great on a cold evening.

What? You ordered the mojito for me, didn’t you?

Well, maybe I can lick the cream off the top?

Nah… I don’t think I want the strawberry.

I’ve finished my coffee. Can I get something to eat now?

Lainee, after she’d had surgery to remove her mammary glands due to cancer.

Yeah, she didn’t like the neck brace option almost as much as she hated the cone of shame.

The above is one of the last photos I took of Lainee, the afternoon I dropped her off for surgery. I was sure I would have her back and that she would live another 2 years or so.

I have had her cremated and she is now close to me, where she always wanted to be. I couldn’t bear to leave her in a grave somewhere far away.

I try to remember the good times as much as I can.

getting back on track. or trying to.

Posted on May 12, 2023 by zefiart

I figure its time to get back to sharing art and creations. This is one I did while I was in Athens last.

Its taken me a while to get back into the mood to post…

The house still feels empty without Lainee next to me and I can’t remember how many nights I slept with the door unlocked cause it was always the last thing I did before bedtime: walk Lainee and lock the door when I came in. Without her to walk, I’d just go to bed and forget the door. So now I try to lock the door as soon as it gets dark.

I’ve been busy. I did what I said I’d do: I made my home into an art studio/gallery. I’ve had a couple of open studio days and they went well. I’m grooming. And when I have free time, I am as creative as I can… Most of the time. I still have lazy days. Thats life.

Now I have to organise myself and decide what days I’ll be ‘open’ and what workshops I want to offer… It seems like an easy decision but I have a mental block. I can’t decide…

Hopefully the fog will clear soon.

Looking forward to sharing more art soon.

when it’s all too much

Posted on May 6, 2023 by zefiart

I know some people are sick of me complaining about how things (don’t) work in Greece, they think I should love it here or leave. Fair enough, but here goes again… For the masochists among us.

I’m in Athens. Mainly for the house, which is ALMOST finished but not quite yet. All going well, the last touches will be put in place by Tuesday next week and I can get onto getting the place rented.

Let me tell you about Greek banks and tax matters…

My brother and I are waiting for the building permit for our land at Agia Irini on Paros to be finalized. It was meant to be done by January but there were delays. Now the delay is us.

Why? Well, ’cause we have to sign some paperwork and get it stamped by a justice of the peace or whatever the equivalent for that is in Greece. Easy for me to do. Not so much for Peter in Australia … he could send me a statutory declaration to sign for him, but that is as difficult a job to do from there as it is to get a power of attorney.

So, I thought, I’ll get a SIM registered in his name, attach it to his Greek tax file, organise for an online stat dec giving me permission to sign for him, and done. Easy.

You’d think.

Did I mention that my brother has a bank account in Greece he himself can’t access online, cause in order to do anything (including changing his password) needs a confirmation SMS to be sent to his phone, but they won’t send to international numbers.

99% of businesses in Greece now use Viber to send messages, even the Greek government sends messages in Viber. But not our bank. Oh no. And they can’t possibly accept an overseas phone number for confirmation messages… heaven forbid.

I thought having a pay-by-the-month SIM card for my old mobile in his name, attached to his bank account and his tax file, would solve both problems. When he was in Greece last we went into the bank together and added my name to his account so I can access the account and take care of business for him in Greece. But I can’t register my phone on his account because you can only register one account per telephone number, and I already have my own account at that bank.

I bought a SIM card. Then lost the phone.

It’s in my house somewhere. In a safe place, no doubt. One I’ll never find again. Even after all the sorting I’ve been doing over the last couple of weeks. Seriously… there are only so many places I can hide something in a 50m2 house!

I also don’t remember if I got the SIM in my name or his… but today, having lost the first phone with the new SIM inside, I thought I’d get another SIM for an older phone… I went into the shop today only to be told they can only sell me a SIM in MY name, using my ID card. If my brother wants a SIM he has to come in personally to do it. But he’s in Australia. That doesn’t matter. He has to come in himself.

It’s my brother’s experience all over again:

He goes to a government agency and hands over an envelope with documents.

The girl at the desk says ‘I need a letter of xxx in order to open this envelope’.

He says, ‘The letter is in the envelope.’

She says, ‘I need the letter in order to open the envelope.’

He says, ‘But the letter is IN, the envelope.’

She says, ‘I need the letter in order to open the envelope.’

You can see how successful that discussion was.

I’ve had such a long day today. I’m emotionally and mentally exhausted.

And there’s more but I’m not in the mood for that now.

trash lamp recycled

Posted on May 1, 2023 by zefiart

You know how I like to collect things… and how hard it is for me to resist picking up stuff people have thrown away when its obvious it can be made beautiful and useful again?

Well, a couple of weeks ago I went past the bins near here and saw this old lamp along with some old framed silk prints. I picked them up. The frames may be fixable, but the silk is beyond repair. I may be able to re-use the frames for something…

The lamp was rusty and the shade was ruined, but I had a shade at home I wasn’t using… providing the lamp worked, it was a great find.

So I brought it home and today, instead of dedicating all my time to preparing for our trip to Athens tomorrow, I spent some time fixing up the lamp. The pic above is after I’d sanded off all the loose rust and sprayed it black.

The pic below, shows it trying out its new shade.

When not sure what to paint on a shade, stick with the familiar… octopus… inspired by the broken lamp I ‘mended’ for a friend a year or so ago. Only this time the octopus is on the shade, not the lamp itself.

The only problem I found was that the paint bled a bit into the shade. Eh. Nothing handmade is perfect! Plus I added colour and re-worked it so the bleed wasn’t so obvious.

Here is the finished product from various angles. I need a ring thingy so the lamp shade sits inside properly, but for now its drying in the corner.

I do love remaking lamps. I’ve done a ton over the years… The rope covered lamp shade which is now on another base in my bedroom. The floor lamp made of old glasses. The Ikea desk lamp that got a rustic makeover. The rag woven lampshade on a retro base. And last but not least, the rusty wire lampshade I’m still using as my main light source when working at my kitchen/studio table… I never could resist old rusty wire.

So, another item added to the plethora of things I have for sale in my home/gallery!

Always adhering to the recycling theme, with a base destined for landfill.

Now to pack my bag for tomorrow.

in preparation

Posted on April 30, 2023 by zefiart

I’ve been working hard in preparation for my open home/gallery idea. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks packing away all craft supplies I won’t need/want to work with till winter time, all decorative items that aren’t of my own creation, and everything else I generally don’t need handy.

Most of that I’ve packed into heavy duty plastic boxes and moved down the basement. I’ve donated a ton of stuff I don’t want and been ruthless about throwing away items as well.

I watched The Minimalists one night on Netflix and they were going on about how when you get rid of everything you don’t need and only keep stuff which ‘has value’, you free yourself and live better and have more free time…

To be honest, I don’t know how having less stuff in your life can actually give you more time, other than maybe not having to clean or dust as much (if that is something you do!). But I do agree whole heartedly that having less is always better for your mind and soul.

I am a collector, I admit. I love having collections of things which appeal to me, but when I moved to Greece almost 4.5 years ago, I got rid of almost all my collections. Even my extensive poodle figurine collection. I only kept a couple of figurines which meant more to me, ditto with all the other collections. I brough very little with me to Greece, including some things people won’t understand at all. However, they have value to me and that’s all that counts.

Over the years, as I said, I’ve always collected stuff. Partly cause I like to do things with the stuff I collect (remake, use them on things I create etc) but also cause I don’t think I would like living in a minimalist space. I like interesting things and love creating little vignettes with them. I like just looking at them. I love going to people’s houses and seeing that kind of ‘clutter’ as well. Going totally minimal was never going to be me, what with my collection gene and my art and craftiness.

However, in my ‘regular’ life, I am trying to simplify things. What I don’t use and don’t need is going or gone. I’ve been doing this periodically all my life. Once you begin to get rid of things it feels so good, you want to get rid of more. Its addictive.

Here are some pics of the first steps towards making my home a display for my work.

This corner near the couch has been started, with a few paintings on the wall. The more I sort out stuff, the more will be framed and hung, or put on the table to display. I also have some unfinished work I need to work on.

Behind my easel (with the STILL unfinished painting), I’ve created a little gallery wall with smaller artwork. Soon enough, all my walls will be covered with art (and nails)…

There is still a ton to be framed and space found to hang them.

The bookcase is roughly half display and half my office with the computer, printer, materials and other supplies. They may all be moved into the bedroom eventually… I have to see how I go space-wise. It really sucks having a tiny house.

Meanwhile, I do need to keep producing art over summer cause as things sell, there will be empty spaces which will need filling.

I HOPE things sell! I mean, that’s the whole point of having them on display.

Being that I’m not in the town with a door to passersby, I will be holding open days and art lessons to bring people to my home.

Fingers crossed on that!

Speaking of fingers, I got bitten on the thumb by a ratbag of a shih tzu yesterday. Three good punctures. He got me good, the little bastard. An elderly dog with a full set of teeth and very quick reflexes. Damn.

working with clay

Posted on April 15, 2023 by zefiart

So, although I’m on a ‘holiday from my usual life’, I have done a little bit of creative work.

First was a big fail. I had some old sheets given to me, very stiff, thick sheets, no longer usable cause they were ripped or worn. I had planned to make shopping bags out of them, stamp them with Junk4Joy and other designs and just have fun with them, giving them as gifts to people who bought my art.

Unfortunately, it ain’t happening. The fabric is way too stiff to work on my sewing machine. I was having all kinds of problems with it so I did what any other self respecting crafter/artist would do – I gave up. It’s not worth the effort and frustration.

And since my thing is recycling, I refuse to buy fabric to make bags. If I’m going to BUY anything, I may as well buy readymade bags! I mean why the hassle of sewing when I can just buy and stamp/paint? Well, cost for one thing. I have to look at the cost of plain cotton bags I can get in Greece. Then decide if it’s worth it.

So I just went on with the other project I brought up to the dog sitting job to work on: sculpture.

I had started these figures months ago. Months and months ago when I was really into sculpture. (I go through phases as anyone who knows me knows.)

I had begun two cats, one sitting and one walking. When they’re finished I can share the start of the project, but for now this is where they’re at currently.

Of course, there have to be naked ladies. I really do love my ‘nekkid’ ladies.

If you remember, the naked ladies are made from recycled dishwashing liquid bottles. The cats, like the dogs, are made from toilet roll or hand roll cardboard, wire, foil and whatever I need to create the shape. They are then built up with a homemade papier mâché pulp and finished off with air dry clay.

They take a long time to make as I have to do one layer at a time allow for drying in between. But I do love getting my hands dirty! I majored in Printmaking at Art School… Inky black hands were the go for years.

Between working on the sculptures and failing at the sewing project, I spend time cuddling with the dogs, taking them out for short walks on the hill around the house, soak in the view, and, for the last couple of days, hiding inside from the cold STRONG wind. sheesh. Its windy out there. This morning I had to search and rescue outdoor furniture from the hillside.

Since its Greek Easter tomorrow and I’m joining the family for lunch, I’ve made a trifle as my contribution. Its currently cooling and soaking up the mastiha liqueur I put in it. Yum. A slightly alcoholic dessert, nothing like the one I made one Christmas in Tasmania where I soaked the cake in Cointreau, then added some in the jelly… Whoa.

Other than that, I’ve been thinking about/stressing over my plans and prioritizing what I have to do moving into the future.

I don’t recommend it.

In fact, I escaped into watching some Queer Eye for the Straight Guy episodes last night. Something easy to watch, not demanding at all!

Monday the homeowners return and I can go back to my own home and hectic life.

no progress to report

Posted on April 12, 2023 by zefiart

Would you believe this is an AI image? Microsoft Edge updated last night and this morning I was greeted with a message that I can now create images from words/descriptions. So I wrote coffee mug, laptop, sun coming in window. And this is what I got.

This is so cool!

Anyway, the title of this post is a lie, there has been progress on the house in Athens, but I have no photos to share, despite having asked for some more than once. The contractor still says the house will be finished before Easter (this weekend) but since the windows aren’t being put in till after Easter, that’s a pretty strong “NOT”.

Whatever. My plan is to keep at what I’m doing till I’m told the house will be finished TOMORROW, then go to Athens to check it over, make sure it’s all done, organise cleaning and real estate agent, then I can say it’s actually finished.

I’m still packing away stuff in my house to make it a kind of exhibition space, but things are going slowly as I’m not home all the time. Eh. It will get done when it gets done. No use stressing about it.

Meanwhile I’m enjoying having 3 dogs cuddled up to me in bed at night. I’ll miss that when I finally move back home.

to shop or not to shop

Posted on April 8, 2023 by zefiart

I don’t mean ‘do I go shopping’ cause the answer to that would be a resounding YES – who doesn’t love shopping?

No, the question remains ‘to open a(nother) shop or not’… having just closed my Etsy shop due to nothing happening there. I still have my CafePress shop, but that’s selling very rarely as I’m not adding new stuff to it any more and the percentage I get from sales is minimal at best.

I’ve been looking at WooCommerce on WordPress and it looks both great and easy enough. However, it would mean upgrading my plan and I’m not sure that would be justified since I’m not sure I’d sell enough to make upgrading from a Premium plan (US$10 a month) to a Business plan (US$31 a month).

I’m thinking maybe I should wait a little and try out the el’ cheapo version of simply listing things for sale on FB and Instagram, as well as on the blog, with a description saying the item is for sale and a price…

I mean, between that and selling stuff in person and through the occasional local shop, it might be a better solution for me… Of course I’ll still have to look online to sell a few things – like my remade dolls and some of my poodle artwork (cause I don’t think anyone on Paros would be interested in either!)… perhaps I’ll just go back to ebay for that. Its not ideal, but its something… and everyone looks at ebay.

What are your thoughts, my blog reading friends? Do you think I’d be able to sell enough of my own work from an online shop to justify tripling what I pay currently? Not forgetting that I am currently over-extended as it is with one renovation underway using up every penny I have, another I can’t afford, and the dream of building a studio on our land… Not to mention somehow finding a way/space/way to groom better and more professionally than I am currently.

I was never one to have small dreams…

So, opinions asked for.

Hit me with them.

the errant blogger returns

Posted on April 5, 2023 by zefiart

Its been days since I got back to Paros and I’ve been busy catching up, grooming, and now, I’m house/dog sitting again.

Meanwhile I’ve managed to convert my house into a removalist’s nightmare as I go through my stuff and sort. I’m sticking with my idea of transforming my living room (kitchen/studio/everything room) into a sort of gallery to show my work and invite people to see and (hopefully!) buy, instead of trying to find shops/galleries to sell through.

Along with trying to sell online… I’ve pretty much given up on the Instagram/Facebook shop idea, I just can’t figure it out and its giving my confidence no end of battering cause I’m not THAT stupid.

On the other hand, I see that WordPress has a commerce thing going on too… not sure if its available to the whole world or just the USA, or how it works, or anything at this stage, but I might look into that. Last time I tried it, it wasn’t ideal… Maybe this new version is better. Failing that I’ll just post stuff on FB and Instagram with a price and ‘contact me’ button. It might be better anyway, since I’m selling original artwork and not multiples of any one item.

So, in the vein of creating gallery space, I’ve been going through my house and pretty much packing away all my display items that are not for sale in order to replace them with items that are.

In order to do that, I got more plastic containers which I can seal things in to keep them safe from the damp and potential rodents returning, to store them in the basement. I’m also putting away all project/craft supplies I won’t be using over summer. Things like my fabrics, felting wools, etc. I won’t be needing those for a while, they are not things I use regularly. They’ll be put away and the space they took up previously will be used for the materials I do use, moving them out of the living room.

The suitcases under my bed, for instance, will now hold paints, paper, canvases etc, things I will continue to work with over summer. That way, the bookcase will be a display case.

At least that’s the plan…

Meanwhile, I’m keeping my little cubby boxes and drawers, and I’ve added another 4 drawers to the bookcase for all the tools and odds and ends. I found these little boxes at Jumbo the other day and bought 4 of them.

They’re pretty, but I’m using them as drawers so I had to make them fit in with the other drawers I’d made myself. I used old magazines and decoupaged them to the front of the boxes and voila – more drawers.

Once again, the photos are pitiful, mainly cause I do a lot of this stuff in the evening or at night. But you get the idea.

More to do. Lots more to do. So little time! Better get on with it!

march 31. a month of daily art.

Posted on March 31, 2023 by zefiart

The last day of the month of art challenge!

And one last small painting.

I also added a bougainvillea to the painting I did yesterday.

They’re so greek islandy. I love them. I especially love the pink ones and the red ones. I like the white though they don’t stand out like the other colours, but dislike the orange, and I’m over the wild bougainvillea in the purpley shade. Mind you, they’re the ones that grow best.

The red one I bought for my back patio is struggling. People say bougainvillea’s like to be mistreated. Not sure that applies to mine… It flowers (very few flowers) at odd times of the year and just looks plain scraggly the rest of the time.

I really hope that when I finally have a studio on our land and put it in the ground, that it decides to live and bloom like a normal one!

I actually have a collection of plants which I’ve been nurturing for that very day.

ONE day.

Once I get the upstairs apartment no. 1 finished and rented. And find the money to begin the build project on Paros.

Of course, there’s still upstairs apartment no. 2 to do…

I wonder if there is any pirate treasure buried on Paros…?

junk4joy

painting, recycling, creating and living on a greek island