a few of my favourite things – lockdown 2 day 146

Posted on April 4, 2021 by zefiart

In the vein of sharing memories and things I miss, figured I’d share a few of my favourite things as well. There are so many of them, but I’ll limit myself to books and plays for this post. They’re sort of related as most plays I love, I read as books…

Firstly my favourite books of all time. These are books I always buy when I find them, especially the version I first bought. Call me sentimental. I always have a copy in my bookcase, or two or three of each. And I enjoy reading them again and again.

The Crysalids by John Wyndham – I first read this book when I was a ‘tween and it struck a chord. I’m not into science fiction as such, but this book is special and it started my obsession with books/movies about the end of the world. (Yep. I get the irony in that.)

Every Night Josephine by Jacqueline Susann. This book is responsible for my love affair with poodles. After reading it I set out to find a black girl poodle. Instead I found and fell in love with a white boy (Timmy).

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss – What can I say? Probably my favourite book of all time. I would read it in a house, with a mouse, with a fox, in a box, over here, over there, I would read it anywhere!

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok – I’ve mentioned this book before. A book I adore though it makes me question how much of an artist I really am since I’m not obsessed by it as a little boy called Asher Lev. I also blame this book (and other Chaim Potok books) for my fascination with the Jewish religion.

Of course I have tons of books I love but these are the ones that stand out cause they’re the ones I always buy again.

I grew up loving books. I remember my favourite days at school were book related… one was the day we’d get the brochure with books for sale. We lived in Greece at the time and buying books in English wasn’t easy. We had a library at school and I was a regular visitor, but having my own books was special. My parents would allow me a certain amount of money for books so I’d pour over the brochure, reading the synopsis of the books I liked and carefully deciding which ones to buy. The other best days were the days the books arrived in their boxes, opening the boxes and breathing in that new book smell… ahhh…

The only book I remember from back then was Where the Red Fern Grows, but there were so many more.

Now I have a Kindle and sure, I’m a book lover and I love the smell of printed paper and the feel of a book. But I also love having countless books at my fingertips at any given moment. I love being able to carry one slim tablet instead of a heavy book (or two cause I was close to finishing the first). I have to admit though, I miss having a bookcases full of books…

Then there’s theatre.

I love live theatre, but I must admit I have two favourite plays I never tire of seeing. In the theatre or as a movie, professional or amateur.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. I fell in love with this play when we had to read it for school. Especially the speech below. I mean, how can you not love this play?

ROS: …Do you ever think of yourself as actually dead,
lying in a box with a lid on it?
GUlL: No.
ROS: Nor do I, really… It’s silly to be depressed by it. I mean one
thinks of it like being alive in a box, one keeps forgetting to
take into account the fact that one is dead… which should
make a difference… shouldn’t it? I mean, you’d never know
you were in a box, would you? It would be just like being
asleep in a box. Not that I’d like to sleep in a box, mind you,
not without any air – you’d wake up dead, for a start and then
where would you be? Apart from inside a box. That’s the bit I
don’t like, frankly. That’s why I don’t think of it.
(GUlL stirs restlessly, pulling his cloak round him.)
Because you’d be helpless, wouldn’t you? Stuffed in a box
like that, I mean you’d be in there for ever. Even taking
into account the fact that you’re dead, really… ask
yourself, if! asked you straight off – I’m going to stuff you
in this box now, would you rather be alive or dead?
Naturally, you’d prefer to be alive. Life in a box is better
than no life at all. I expect. You’d have a chance at least.
You could he there thinking – well, at least I’m not dead!
In a minute someone’s going to bang on the lid and tell me
to come out. (Banging on the floor with his fists.) ‘Hey you,
whatsyernaine! Come out of there!’
GUlL: (Jumps up savagely) You don’t have to flog it to death!
(Pause.)
ROS: I wouldn’t think about it, if! were you. You’d only get
depressed. (Pause.) Eternity is a terrible thought. I mean,
where’s it going to end?

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde – The cleverest/funniest play ever. I’ve seen this so many times, even once in Adelaide starring Geoffrey Rush back when he was still acting on stage in Australia. He made an excellent Ernest.

Ah. My favourite things.

Besides poodles of course.

crazy farm life – lockdown 2 day 144

Posted on April 4, 2021 by zefiart

Again on the memories. This time its about how crazy life got on the farm… I do really miss it you know. I dream of my poodles all the time, I miss the smell of the Tasmanian countryside and the sound of our geese and ducks every morning, cuddling standard poodles… having a workshop to make things in.

I mentioned I bought a cabinet. I got it home yesterday and removed the glass on one side as the other was missing. I left the glass in front. I considered sanding it here, outside, but didn’t have the time so I moved it inside. Its light anyway, especially with less glass. Now I have a sore back.

Thats what months of not doing anything does to you.

I’m really getting frustrated on the whole no space to work thing. Every time I see a place which might suit its not for rent. No one has storage spaces here, and if they do they use them themselves. Garages are not common, and given most people don’t have space for sheds on their land and you need a permit to put up any kind of building on a property (the law limits the meterage of ‘building’ any land can have on it) when people do add on to their house its always living space, not workshop/spare space.

I really don’t know what to do. I’ve thought of a container on some land at the ‘family compound’… I’ve thought of asking to build a concrete slab and put up a pergola with a roof – but again… not allowed to put up more structures on the land I could do that on. Temporary things are allowed (with restrictions) like a container or a caravan, but not permanent structures… and a pergola is permanent. Sigh.

Realistically my options seem to be 1. rent a place and pay top $$ for it which I can’t afford. 2. find a place to rent to live in which has the potential space – very hard to find full year rentals here and its very expensive, plus i’m not sure I want to move. I like where I live. 3. find the money to build on our land – lots of money… or 4. give up.

Anyway… back to the memories of how chaotic life can be on a farm… click here to read the story.

searope basket – lockdown 2 day 145

Posted on April 4, 2021 by zefiart

I’ve been a day behind on the blog for days now so today you get 2 posts so I can catch up. At least I think this is catching up. I may be 2 days behind… hmmm…

Anyway, I’ve been working on art sporadically but seem to have spent most of my time lately doing things other than creative work. Like cleaning up the courtyard out the back, planting seeds and other such stuff. Considering I’m planning to have an exhibition this year, I really need to get cracking on art.

One thing I began and actually finished this week was another sea rope basket. I’m now officially low on sea rope so need to go for a walk on the beach to gather more. I had to buy more thread this week too as I finished the last spool. I like to use a crochet thread in a natural colour for my baskets.

Making these little baskets is kind of zen, I can do it while sitting quietly with my thoughts (though my thoughts tend to get loud at times…) or while chatting to someone or watching TV… They take a while to make and I’m getting calluses on my thumb from pulling the needle throught, but hey, you gotta suffer for your art.

I love finishing off the edges of these little guys with loose bits of rope, in this case knots I had to cut off the bits of rope in order to make the basket. It gives them a sort of whimsical feel…

They’re not really big. I’m considering making a bigger one but it will need a whole lot more rope…

Anyway, its time for another beach scavenger walk…

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the old ladies – lockdown 2 day 139

Posted on March 28, 2021 by zefiart

Mom and two aunts visited me today. Its a weekly thing, a nice way to catch up with aunts I don’t often see, and I enjoy having mom here.

Its really funny though. They come here and sit on the couch, turn on the TV and talk over the shows they want to watch, get on their phones (especially my mother who’s a social butterfly) but they enjoy their time together.

Meanwhile I make coffee, serve them some tsipouro (otherwise known as raki or home made rotgut) with nuts. I sit at the table and work on my sculptures or paintings and listen in to their discussions about people I know or don’t know but should know.

I enjoy it.

Being around mom this year has been good. Sure, she still drives me crazy at times, I think its her job, but I’ve also loved just getting to know her. We’d never been close when I was growing up but as an adult I appreciate mom a whole lot more.

Its been nice to hear her stories of life on Paros as a child or as a young woman in Athens and Australia. Even if I’ve heard them 500,000,000 times. Some stories never get old.

At least now she’s driving again so I don’t have to take her everywhere cause driving with her still drives me crazy… every single time we get into a car together she tells me the same stuff, as if I’ve never been here before:

“Turn here. (Yes mom, I know. I’ve been here before. You bring me every year.) Here! Yes, next to that house with the blue shutters. That road leads to Pounda…Where the boats to Antiparos go. (I know mom) That’s where my father’s sister Evgenia used to live when I was a child. (Yes, I know.) You remember Spiridona? (No) He’s her grandson, you used to play with him as a baby. Surely you remember him. (Ummm, no…) Well, he married a girl from Marpissa and has 2 children, one is now studying in Italy, he’ll be a doctor. Pity about the other one, he was never right in the head… but then again, neither was Evgenia. We used to pick on her as kids. (You picked on your aunt?) No, not my aunt Evgenia, her grandaughter, her other son’s daughter. Now turn left after the barn. (Yes, I know. I’ve been here before…) There’s old barba Thodori checking his vines. He’s related to your cousin’s mother through marriage. (I won’t ask which cousin, I have 23 first cousins, countless second cousins…) His brother married Kyriaki, who’s father owned the bakery in the old town, the one next to the shoe shop that became a bar. He got cancer and died last year. (Who? Kyriaki’s husband?) No, the guy who owned the bar. This is the house, stop. (Yes, I know mom. I’ve been here before). Park here. (Yes mom)…”

Ah the joys of family!

But there are stories which I love to hear. About the old man who used to go out drinking and one night he was sneaking in late (or really early) and was taking off his pants quietly when his wife woke up and asked “Why are you getting up so early?”. He replied “I couldn’t sleep” and pulled his pants back on an went out again.

Or the old woman who set the table for her family and told her husband she’s slaughtered a chicken for lunch. The husband said “But did the chicken have 4 legs?” when he saw the meal, and she said “just eat and shut up”… an expression often used in our family when anyone comments on food: just eat and shut up.

Or about the woman who was a ‘working’ girl in a small town on a small island. Everyone knew it and many husbands visited her. Every now and then she’d get pregnant and have a child which she called by the father’s name. No use keeping secrets in such a small place.

And the sad story of the day germans bombed the school, killing the teacher and two children. My mom’s youngest brother was supposed to be in that classroom but he’d been sent to the principals office (sometimes being naughty does pay). Mom said that as children they were all curious and went in to see… she remembers seeing the teacher’s legs sticking out of the rubble. The plane went down in the port and boats rushed out to try to get the crew out. Days later bloated bodies washed up on shore and once again the kids ran down to take a look. Not the best of memories, but kids are curious and mom grew up during a war.

I love hearing about the old days on the island. Mind you, I have some ‘old days’ stories myself since we first came to Paros in 1970 and it was a totally different world back then.

We used to get woken by farmers with their donkeys crying out their wares in the cobblestone streets. One man and his donkey was my favourite and I’d always rush out to say hello and give the donkey, Pitsos, a treat. Another man would come by with goat milk and mom would send us out with pots to put it in and would put it on the stove boil it straight away.

We’d run down to the port and dive off the end of the pier with a ton of other kids. There used to be a small pebble beach next to the pier where mom and my aunts used to swim while we ran and jumped off the end. Back then there were only a few ferries a week, and all ferries to Paros stopped at Syros first. The port was clean and small. Now the beach is under concrete, the pier is huge and dozens of ferries come in every single day. There’s often a queue in the bay, ferries waiting to dock in summer. And traffic is impossible cause there are millions of cars on the island and not enough/wide enough roads, let alone parking. And more rentals are brought in every year for tourists, yet the infrastructure isn’t in place for that much traffic or such a huge rise in population.

Back then very few people lived on Paros all year round, most young people would leave for the cities and work, leaving the old on Paros. Most of our family had moved to Athens and only came to Paros for summer. The streets were quiet. We had quite a few foreigners living here – artists and writers. The hills around Parikia (and everywhere on the island for that matter) were dark at night – no houses.

Nothing like today where there are homes on every single hill and more are going up every day. Progress they call it. I call it destruction of natural beauty, but you can’t stop progress. I’m reminded of the Counting Crows lyrics:

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Hey now, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Why not?

PS the photos are all prior to 1970.

spring – lockdown 2 day 138

Posted on March 28, 2021 by zefiart

My first lupin! I bought a packet of seeds, of which only 3 survived. This is one, the smaller one next to it is the other, and I gave an aunt one which is still tiny.

Its officially spring. Our second spring in lockdown. Its a whole year since our first lockdown, with a few breaks – the yoyo of the greek government restrictions: on – off, on – off, semi on – semi off, and on it goes, round and round.

They’re already touting the greek islands as COVID free, cause the plan is vaccinate all residents (or the majority at least) before tourist season opens mid May. Sure. That’ll happen. Meanwhile, we’re open for business. Open season on the greek islands.

Lainee looking furry before her haircut, tired of all the lockdown stuff.

Lainee after her haircut, looking darn cute.

Its almost like the weather knew its now officially spring cause we had the most glorious day. Not a skerrick of wind, calm seas, warm sun. I’d be tempted to swim if I didn’t have a bandage on my stomach…

I took advantage of the nice day and gave Lainee a good haircut. Opted for a show puppy trim on her since she had so much hair. Its been ages since I’ve done a show trim that I felt I needed practice. Mind you, I didn’t wash and dry her, just brushed her out, so its not perfect. Then again, she’s not a show dog any more! But I put in a training band and ordered more so I can put little bows in her hair… I mean, she’s a poodle… why not?

The guy who delivered our coffees was floored when he saw her. He was like ‘what breed of dog is that? who grooms like that on Paros?’.

It was gratifying. Most of the time I’m only doing utility trims on dogs without washing them as I don’t have the space to set up a proper grooming room. I can still make dogs look cute but without the finesse of a full wash, dry and finish.

Anyway, back to the weather and the need for flowers and playing with dirt. Given I only have paved areas here, all my dirt comes in pots. Winter is hard on plants out the front of my place here cause it gets the worst of the wind. The back area is way more protected with its high walls. I had most of my plants in the back over winter. I only left a few out the front, mainly succulents, and even some of them have wind damage.

I’d ordered a Hyliss shelf unit from Ikea a month ago, with a cover, and I’ve put that out the back to grow seeds in. Yesterday I put that out the back and filled small pots and seedling trays with a variety of seeds… I still have tons more to plant so I think I may need to order another shelf unit. I’ve tried growing seeds with a plastic sheet over them before and that worked ok for some… Lets see how this ‘greenhouse’ goes.

I need to buy more potting mix and repot some stuff I’ve been growing from cuttings. I have another huge pot like the one with the lupins that I want to put other tall growing flowers in. That takes a lot of potting mix. I’ll need to get someone to lift and carry for me.

I dream of a back courtyard full of flowers…

But I get ahead of myself. At least I got started on some of my seeds today!

the little princess – lockdown 2 day 137

Posted on March 27, 2021 by zefiart

I’m sharing two transformations today… Firstly there are the little bedside tables my cousin Zefi had in her son’s room. Gorgeous little things, with detailed legs and some pretty old and discoloured varnish. Zefi decided it was time to update them so she borrowed my detail sander and got to work.

This is what they looked like before:

This is how they looked after sanding:

And this is how they looked after waxing. Amazing difference. They still look original, but so much cleaner and smoother. In this pic we were trialing different knobs.

The most amazing transformation however, isn’t a piece of furniture. Its the transformation of my little cousin Zefi from precious little princess:

To this:

She’s already working on another cabinet as we speak.

Of course I take full credit. Or blame. Whichever way you want to see it. Up till now Zefi’s done a few hand sanding projects, but now I’ve introduced her to the joys of power tools there’s no looking back. She said she fell in love with my sander. I say wait and see how much you’ll fall in love with your own sanders and saws and drills and angle grinders!

Welcome to the dark side cuz! Glad to have your company!

junk4joy

painting, recycling, creating and living on a greek island

a few of my favourite things – lockdown 2 day 146

searope basket – lockdown 2 day 145

the old ladies – lockdown 2 day 139

spring – lockdown 2 day 138

the little princess – lockdown 2 day 137