2025 will mark the first full year in our new home, McFalakis, our own “Private Idaho”
January
We have a lot to fix on our fixer upper, and the sequence of repairs has not turned out the way we imagined. For instance, I knew the kitchen needed to be redone, but I was willing to wait a year or more before addressing it. Master bedroom was the first thing on my list. The kitchen has a semi-working oven, stove top and sink, and a non-functional exhaust fan and refrigerator. We took measurements and went to Electronet in search of a fridge. Found exactly what I wanted and thought the measurements matched the opening in the kitchen, but no…… Then we looked at the exhaust fan and realized how tiny it was which matched the tiny stove top, then realized the countertops were actually some sort of canvas staple on formica thing. Our cabinet maker recommendation came over to assess the kitchen and found that he couldn’t just do some tiny fixes. We knew then that the kitchen needed a complete rebuild. So the master bedroom moved down the list.
So far, the list of things we have accomplished on our list since we moved in on Oct 11, 2024 are: New water line, electricity, replaced toilet on mancave level, new solar water heater, replaced toilet tanks upper two levels, new remote control front gate, all new kitchen appliances for upcoming kitchen rebuild, new water pressure tank in mechanical room, temp repair of petrol radiator system, and landscape cleanup.
Still on our list and timeline to accomplish:
Winter: Upgrade heating system to heat pumps, Install UV filtration system for the entire house, add a garage door
Spring: Address landscaping (plant citrus, herbs & veggies), rebuild outdoor stairs, rebuild outdoor kitchen, new paint indoors
Summer: Re-skin the house and add insulation, Roof repairs, address water intrusion (mancave level), Pool (if we’re lucky)
Fall: Master bedroom, paint outdoor fences & walls, outdoor lighting, repave motor court
Now, whether all these things get accomplished in the above mentioned timeline is yet to be seen. So far, nothing has gone to plan so perhaps this is all a senseless exercise but at least those are the major items.
So, now it’s January and it’s a bit cold. Our ancient radiator system is powered by diesel fuel, specifically, a 2,000 liter diesel fuel tank. Obviously when this house was built in 1995, diesel fuel was cheap. Not these days. We’re thinking of switching to a whole house heat pump, but budgeting for this is a little daunting. In the meantime, we’ll research split unit heat pumps and keep grandpa diesel fuel until next fall.
Meanwhile, the horse showed up again. This time I had an apple ready for him.
January 10, 2025
We were moving along with our projects when I got an update on our newborn granddaughter, Kassiani. As I mentioned in a previous post, Kassiani was born on December 3, 2024. Delivery was quick and easy. What we didn’t know was that Kassiani had a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. As the days progressed, we noticed her oxygen levels (pulseox) vary widely from an occasional 90-91 to mostly mid 80s with dips down to the 50s. Very alarming, but her skin tone remained somewhat normal and she didn’t appear to be in distress. She was seen by a pediatric cardiologist in Clear Lake who recommended she go to Texas Children’s Hospital in the Med Center for further evaluation. That came a couple days ago when she was seen by the head of the pediatric cardiology department – Dr. Daniel Penny. They admitted her that very day and surgery will be scheduled after her case is discussed at a conference on Monday.
In the meantime, Kassiani has not been churched or baptized, which in the Greek Orthodox religion, they are churched at 40 days, and baptized usually at 1 year or less. Thank you Fr. Stelios for coming out to bless our dear Kassiani.
I wasn’t planning on returning to the states any time soon, but have now booked a ticket back to Houston next week, leaving poor David to handle the several projects we currently have going on. No normal husband would be able to work full time while coordinating several projects in a foreign country, alone, without the language skills, and do it with a smile and grace, but David can. I thank the Lord everyday for putting him in my life.
For once, my timing has worked out perfectly. My friend Cali picked me up at Houston Hobby airport on Wednesday, Jan 15. That very evening I picked up Stassi from her cousins house and brought her back to the Airbnb that Ty and Andrea were renting. It was mutual – she was happy to see me and I was overjoyed to see her.
The next couple days, I concentrated on feeding this little one and making sure she was loved while her parents focused on Kassiani. I was going to bring Stassi to the hospital but unfortunately, two days after I arrived, Stassi came down with a bug. A couple days later the snow arrived so we had to check it out! I made sure to take a lot of photos for her parents as this was Stassi’s first encounter with snow. Even though she was still recovering, she had so much fun! Unfortunately, Stassi still had a runny nose and cough on the day of Kassiani’s open heart surgery on Thursday, January 23rd. In fact, it would be another week before we could make it to the hospital.
We finally made it to the hospital. I had seen the photos and videos Andrea sent me of the ICU room they were in, but I wasn’t fully prepared for what I saw. In this video, Andrea describes all the wires that were attached to Kassiani and what they did. I couldn’t help but notice how calm she was in her explanation. I would not have been. Anyway I thought it fascinating and informative.
A day after this, I finally succumbed to Stassi’s cold. It hit me hard and I freaked out because I had just been with Kassiani. Andrea assured me though that since she was still on the ventilator, she was taking in 100% clean oxygen so nothing airborne from me could pass to her. Glory to God! It would be another week or so before Stassi and I would return to the hospital. Here are some scenes from Kassiani’s final days at the hospital before coming home.
February
This was such a cute thing – Heart Month at the pediatric cardiology unit at Texas Children’s. This was why Stassi was dressed up as a super hero. A way to lift the spirits of siblings and parents.
It is February 6th and today is our last day at the hospital – a photographer came in to take our picture. You can see the fatigue is on all our faces, more so of course from Andrea & Ty. Despite the fatigue, we were all excited to finally bring Kassiani home!
And so, after a few more days of all of us together under one roof, my time in Houston comes to an end. This is one of the very rare instances in my life where I can honestly say I made a difference. I really don’t know how they would have done it without another adult helping 24/7. This was taken the morning of my flight back to Crete. Going to miss these two!!
February 13, 2025
It’s February 13, 2025 and I’m back on Greek soil! So good to be back with David and my surroundings. Not much happened in my absence. David did remote work the entire time and battled with the old radiator system. The weather here is full on winter, albeit mild in general. Daytime temps in the low 50’s and night upper 40’s. David tells me when the sun is out it is quite nice, but on overcast rainy days, totally miserable, especially when grandpa radiator is acting up. Many days he did not have heat and since the house is not insulated, indoor temps were around 58-62 degrees. He bought a couple of portable heaters which barely got it done.
While I was gone, the kitchen cabinets arrived! David created this video to show me while I was in Houston. I was hoping Stavros (GC), Antonis (electrician) and Manos (plumber) would come to do their part in prepping the kitchen for demo, but sadly, they did not. David made an attempt to communicate with them, but for some reason, they all decided to wait for my return.
My first day back was filled with texting these guys. Antonis the electrician is coming tomorrow and so is Stavros to take down the bar and prepare the wall in the kitchen – yay! I so wanted progress to be made to the kitchen while I was gone because the arrival of our household goods is looming. I am told they will appear in Heraklion around the 20th of February, so we’re really cutting it close.
I love Stavros! While he was here, he decided to go ahead and take down the porte cochere, which was on our to do list. Here are before and after shots. He did it in a couple of hours and the timing was perfect because a big moving truck would not be able to pass through.
Our shipping container arrived Heraklion on Friday, Feb 14 while kitchen prep was still being done. Luckily, it took a few days for our container to clear customs, and even more luckier, my paperwork from the Consulate in Houston was all they needed so I wouldn’t have to pay import taxes (Glory to God!). Here they are opening the container on a cold blustery day. A couple days later, a moving truck appeared at our doorstep.
Four happy guys dispersed a shipping container full of stuff in 3 1/2 hours. Very grateful to be re-united with our household items after 3 years. Now, where to put all of it…..
It is not a pretty sight. We are living in a sea of boxes, with the new kitchen cabinets nestled amongst the chaos.
March
Today is Clean Monday, March 3rd – the beginning of Lent in the Orthodox Church. The full lenten fast begins today, to which we refrain from eating meat, fish, dairy, olive oil & wine (on certain days), and eggs. Unfortunately, I have not done a full fast since before we started this journey, nor have I felt very spiritual these last few years. I am hoping to rectify this now that we are sort of settled again. Fasting has always been the most difficult for me but I will do my best to ease into it, starting with no meat. The point of Lent is not to deprive oneself, but to go through a spiritual renewal, like hitting the restart button, something of which I sorely need. Reading the daily scriptures through the prayer team daily email from Fr. Stavros at St. John the Baptist GOC in Tampa, FL has been a big help. Having three churches here within walking distance is another.
In the meantime, the neighborhood stray (horse) turned up again. He has been making regular visits to our house. In fact, the other day, we had a landscaper come by and he mentioned he didn’t know we had a horse….. Turns out our neighborhood friend was grazing on the lower level. Next thing I know, he’s doing a rollover in the back yard. I added zucchini to his diet of apples and carrots, lol.
Saturday, March 8 – Demo Day!!
George the cabinet maker came today to demo the kitchen. I’m so happy! He is taking all the cabinets out and leaving them for Stavros, who will use them in a cabin he has up in the mountains for hikers to take refuge in. Once the cabinets are out, David and I will remove the backsplash, and then on Monday, Manos will prep the plumbing with Antonis following up with electrical. Manos is putting in new valves and making ready for a future R/O water system. Antonis is adding extra wall plug outlets and making ready for undermount and overmount lighting. Once they are finished, George will come back to install the new kitchen cabinets. Once the cabinets are in, Mano and Antonis will return to hook up appliances, lighting and sink, and then I can start opening all these boxes in the living room – yippee!
Monday, March 10: David took this video showing our current situation. The makeshift “kitchen” is now by the fireplace. It’s pretty chaotic, but we’re hoping this doesn’t last long.
Well, a week has gone by with no George, but at least the view is magnificent. It’s a little hazy today, but you can still see snow covered mountains in the distance.
It’s now March 21st. Antonis the electrician has called twice thinking he is behind the ball in returning to complete the kitchen work. He is not. The cabinets are still sitting in the living room. So, note to self……. in the future, don’t start a time sensitive project in the months leading up to tourist season. All the trades around here are frantically working to get the area hotels and rental properties upgraded and ready for tourists, who start coming to the island around April. Apparently George is one of those trades. So, we try to make do and be chill. Not good for someone (me) who is a neat freak. Actually, I’m a mental wreck. It’s really hard to get motivated to do anything when there’s so much chaos around.
So I went for some mental spirituality – The Heretismi Service (Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos) at the church down the hill, Agia Fotini. It was a lovely service with a beautiful byzantine choir and the Priest had an impressive tenor voice.
March 27: Crazy windy day today! We have had some major winds the last couple of days but today I decided to take a quick video of it. And yes……still living in chaos…..no kitchen ๐ข๐ญ
March 29: A bit of good news today – George is coming to install the cabinets – ฮฮฎฯฯ!!!!!!! The plan is he will install just the cabinets with the covers coming later after the countertops are in. That’s fine. This will allow me to open boxes, specifically those that are marked for kitchen. In addition, once the cabinets are out of the living room, we can put together a couch to sit on!
Our evening ended with box re-arranging and couch put together. Massive adrenalin motivation rush this evening. Move in date was Oct 11 so today marks the first day (well, night) for a couch – 5 months!
March 30: Today David put together the new outdoor furniture for the living room balcony. I LOVE it!
April
April 1st – April showers bring May flowers. We have thunderstorms today. One of my favorite memories of growing up in Wood River, IL was sitting outside listening to a thunderstorm. Today reminded me of that time and I couldn’t wait to go sit on our new furniture and relive those memories.
April 4: It’s taken a few days (and several pain relievers) but we finally have a little bit of normalcy on the main floor. About 80% of the boxes slated for the kitchen have been deployed. Countertops have been measured and stone picked out. Once the stone is installed, the sink, dishwasher and electrical outlets/lighting can be installed. We have a working oven, fridge (except for water/ice), and microwave. Most of the remaining boxes in the living room are books, hence, a floor to ceiling bookshelf is planned. Artwork/photos are still in boxes but I’ll get to them soon. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have a couch and recliner! No TV, but who needs one?!
I was so excited to put this on the wall. This is a clock that was from my grandparents candy store, called Candy Bill’s (my grandfather’s name was Vasileios) in Wood River, IL. When the store closed after their deaths, my dad had the clock in his house, and after his death, came to me. It has travelled from Wood River, to League City TX, to Austin TX, and now to Crete. Listen to the soothing sounds of an old clock, full of memories.
While I am grateful to have a semi-functional kitchen, we still don’t have a sink or work surface. However, I did manage to make a healthy breakfast. Cottage cheese/avacado on rusks, boiled eggs and a fresh Cretan orange.
Here we are on April 15th and I still don’t have a working kitchen. Still waiting on the countertops. We are in a holding pattern. Once the stone is in, Manos the plumber will come and put in a whole house UV filtration water system, George will come measure for the bookshelf and repair the buffet, and Antonis will finish wiring the mancave in addition to the kitchen. So for now, no more boxes can be opened. Frustrating! However, when I get too caught up with worries, God has a way of getting my attention. This is one of those moments. The beauty just takes my breath away and my anxieties fade.
April 18: Today is Holy Friday. This will be our first Pascha in our new home. I am anxious and excited. Hoping the service will be what I’ve always experienced.
The service did not disappoint. We went to the monastery just down the hill from our house – the same church I went to for the Heretismi. The Byzantine choir was back and they sang beautifully. The melodies and hymns were familiar so I could sing along. I was overjoyed, thankful and spiritually fulfilled.
Towards the end of the service but before the Gospel, the Kouvouklion (tomb of Christ) which holds the Epitaphios (an embroidered cloth with the depiction of the entombent of Christ) is carried in a procession around the church and the stationed at the front of the church where the congregation walks under it, back into the warmth and light of the church. This is the choir singing the first stanza of the Lamentations during the procession.
3rd stanza of the Lamentations. This is my favorite stanza. The melody is so beautiful to me. Brings tears to my eyes every time. We are heading back to the church. The building on the right is part of the compound.
April 19-20: The moment all Orthodox Christians wait for – The Midnight Service (Pannychis) leading to Pascha (Easter). I was a little anxious, hoping the fireworks that are prevalent in Greece on this night would not be too distracting. I was not disappointed – no fireworks at this monastery. Just the service. It was everything I hoped for. Something I didn’t get on video but saw everywhere was when the hymn Christos Anesti (Christ is Risen) was sung, all the parishioners hugged and kissed their families like it was New Years. Very fitting as our faith is renewed every Pascha. Just perfect! In the second video below, David is walking around. There are people everywhere and surprisingly, every seat inside the church is filled. In the US, all the people go outside for the beginning of the service, but most don’t go back into the church to finish the service, hence an almost empty church for the Divine Liturgy. Totally different here in Greece, or at least here at Agia Fotini. It was standing room only inside the church.
On Sunday, Pascha, we were invited to our neighbors house for lunch. The food was delicious and fun was had by all. They have an even more fabulous view than we do. Anyway, we enjoyed the day with their family and look forward to many more years of fellowship with them.
May
May 9: This time of year we experience Sahara dust from Africa. Today was no exception. You could hardly see outside.
May 10: We are still waiting on our kitchen so nothing new to report, but one bright spot on this day……Kassiani was officially baptized today at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Houston. Fr. Stelios officiated, with Thalia Gazis and Angelo Symeonidis as God parents.
May 13: (Big sigh!) Still no kitchen…. Yes, we are living in paradise, but it comes at a cost. I’m not really a clean freak, but I must have things in order, and this house is definitely not in order. Boxes everywhere, dust, kitchen items in different rooms, well you get the picture. Every day it’s the same thing with little to no progress. That’s when the thought hit me. We’re in some sort of a loop like the movie “Groundhog Day”. So, I created this little video for my own enjoyment. Sometimes you just have to roll with it.
May 15: Today was a step forward day! We got the countertops installed – YAY!!! The sink isn’t hooked up so we’re still using the little half bath sink, and no power in the kitchen other than the single bulb in the ceiling, but at least there is progress!
Sunday, May 18: Today marks our church wedding anniversary. For the record, David and I have had two wedding events. The first was a civil ceremony on January 7, 2011. David calls this the medical wedding – so I could have a medical procedure done on David’s insurance, lol. The second took place at St. John’s on Sunday, May 18, 2014 and was far more relevant to us than the civil ceremony. However, to commemorate both events, we decided to use May 18 as our wedding day, with 2011 as the official year. So, David and I have been married for 14 years. And yes, I would marry him again in a heart beat!
Our anniversary day started where we should be….. in church, at Agia Fotini. We were in for a treat – the Metropolitan was here for a visit!
We typically don’t do anything special for our anniversary but this year we did. We are now parents to a cute little baby kitty. Doungo is her name and she is the sweetest!
I was so excited to get countertops that I decided to make Kreatopita (Greek meat pie), Set out your phyllo on the counter to get to room temperature. Over medium high heat, place onion, carrot, celery and red pepper into a pan with olive oil and cook until softened, then add the garlic. Add ground beef and pork and cook until no longer pink and juices are gone (about 10 min). Add tomato paste and spices (cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg) and mix. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the diced tomatoes, water and bay leaf – I used the water to rinse out the diced tomato can. Cook until the mixture is mostly dry, take off the heat and add the mint.
Preheat oven to 180ยฐC. Using a slightly deep casserole or baking sheet, grease the bottom and the sides of the pan with olive oil. Since I only had 6 sheets, I used 3 on the bottom and top, letting the edges hang over the pan. Sprinkle the sheets with olive oil. Add the meat mixture, sprinkle feta on top, then add the remaining phyllo on top the same way you did on the bottom. Now curl up the overhang phyllo to create a crust then lightly coat the top with olive oil. Score the surface. Bake in the center rack for 50 minutes. Allow to cool before digging in.
Wednesday, May 21: Cabinets are being completed!
Saturday, May 24: The Sink and dishwasher got installed today – yippee!!! Still no power to the outlets and stovetop, but I have a sink!
Today we also got the UV Filtration system installed! That means all the faucets in the house now have clean drinking water. This was something we saw at one of the Airbnb’s in Hawaii and David just loved the idea. I don’t know all the technicalities of it, but in general, water flows through three carbon filters, then another filter and a UV light filter. It’s fairly elaborate. There is a 200L pressurization tank on the right which sends the water to the upper levels of the house. There are also some gauges on the left that measure the amount of water going through and the life of the filters/UV. Perhaps I can ask David to send me an explanation, which I will insert here in the near future. So the only thing that doesn’t get taken out are the salts. We will monitor this in the coming months and if necessary, will install an R/O system in the kitchen.
While Manos was installing the sink and UV system, we noticed the winds getting stronger and stronger. Apparently, Crete has hurricane force winds around the month of May. As the day progressed, the winds died down and then the sahara dust from Africa came. We experienced this last year while we were in Kalamata. Similar thing with the sky turning a reddish color. Everything got coated in red sahara dust. Here’s a photo of our car the next day when I ventured to the grocery store.
And so we end the month of May strong, with the kitchen being completed, a whole house UV filtration system, the kitty cat Doungo bringing energy and life to our house with her cuteness, and a surprise visit from Jimmy Dean, who accidentally spent the night on our property.
Here I am leading Jimmy Dean back to our front gate. He was staying close to me for more treats!
June
June 6: This first week of June is a whirlwind. An added plus this week is the completion of a new fireplace, one that will help provide heat (vented, with a blower) to the main level.
Mid-June Break – Becoming social butterflies! David and I almost never socialize. We are two homebodies that enjoy each others company. Honestly, if David and I were ever trapped on a deserted island, we would be perfectly happy. We would miss the internet and Skroutz (greek amazon equivalent) though, lol. We had some special visits from friends in the States. First up, a visit from the Hudson’s from Illinois. Way back, thousands of years ago, Mark was my first boyfriend. He was a senior and I was a Junior in high school. We lost touch, but with the magic of Facebook, reconnected. Surprisingly, he and his wife Donna passed through Crete, via Chania on a Disney Cruise, where their son Andy is currently the music director. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity of a meet up, so David and I took a 90 minute drive to Chania to spend the day with them. Had a great time, and we got to see how our electric car handles long drives using the air conditioner on one charge (zero issues with plenty of energy to spare).
Quite literally the next day, church friends Mike and Sherri from Austin reached out to us. They were staying like 10 minutes from our house! Apparently they have been vacationing in Ammoudara for the last 10 years and knew the area quite well. We had a fabulous time catching up on all the news.
And finally, to end the month of June, a meet up with Greg and Cheryl. They have a home in Malia and split their time between Houston and Malia (6 months each). Greg was born here, in the little mountain village of Zinta. Cheryl has been my go to for any and all questions here.
July – August
July starts with a revelation. This was a coffee table from my childhood home. It used to be placed on top of a wooden base, but the base was unstable and was thrown away long ago. It has matching end tables, and all made it here safely. I was always told this was Italian marble, however, the bottom is stamped 1961 Portugal, so apparently it is Spanish marble. Anyway, all these months we have not had a dining room table and we probably won’t for another couple of months. Long story short, we put the marble on top of the candy store (Candy Bill’s) table – and NOW we have a “breakfast table”, complete with lawn chair seating, lol. Game changer!!!
July 13: Antonis the electrician came to the house today (on a Sunday) to try to get power to our 120 meter well that is on the property. The plan is to use the well for irrigation purposes. We currently have olive, orange, lemon, pomegranate, fig and pistachio trees in various states of decrepitude, starving for water. Without water, we cannot feed them or plant vegetables, etc. Today was a celebration! The well has water and the pump works, sort of…..well, just enough to bring water to the property. Replacing the well pump is another project for the future.
We interrupt this program to introduce the latest addition to McFalakis. We now have two indoor cats, one wild outdoor ungrateful cat, and the neighborhood horse that comes almost daily for treats and water.
July 15: Guess what day today is??? DEMO DAY! Ilias and his awesome crew showed up promptly at 7:15am today. There’s like 20 people here getting ready to do various things. Scaffolding first and foremost as patching/repairing/painting the exterior will take the most time.
Back in November 2024 when Stavros the stone mason and his men cleared our property, I was in Houston. David sent me a video everyday showing the progress. It was something I looked forward to. I would have put them all on the blog, but the files are big. Fast forward to today, David is taking daily videos of the progress. I will show a few here so you can see the scope of the work that was performed. It’s impressive! Here is the end of day 2.
Day 5 – Master bathroom has been gutted. For the exterior, all the exposed rebar has been treated. The big columns that hold up the entire house have been opened for examination, with the rebar treated. As you can see, there is extensive damage mainly around the balconies and the mancave windows, hence the rebuilding of two of the balconies. I’m just amazed with the amount of work these guys are doing.
Day 14: It’s not everyday you get a 40 cubic meter concrete pour so this deserves a dedicated video. Mind you, these trucks had to navigate past a really tight stretch of road that is literally less than a single lane length. The purpose of this massive pour was to repair the driveway with enough slope to drain water away from the house.
Some single shots of areas being renovated/rebuilt
And so there you have it. Phase 1 of Ilias & Nikoleta nuke strike is in the books. This might sound cliche, but words can not describe how grateful we are for their efficiency, expertise and attention to detail. This was a huge undertaking that brought an old and tired villa back to life. Now we will coast a bit and rebuild our resources. We are hoping Phase 2 can start in the spring when we will tackle the ground floor (pool level).
September
September starts with my first attempt at making a traditional Cretan salad called a Dakos Salata. It starts with a rusk lightly soaked in water to soften it up, then topped with crushed and sliced tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, olive oil, a little balsamic and seasoned with oregano and sea salt. I paired it with a spinach & feta filled pita bread, or as David calls it….. a frisbee lol.
Sep 19: Our first official visitors to McFalakis! David and I have been working hard to get the house in livable condition for visitors. We were hoping for a bookshelf so all boxes would be gone, plus a real dining room table. Well, we didn’t complete either of those projects, but at least the bedrooms were ready to go. My sister Eirene arrived this morning along with her boyfriend Pantelis and his mother Nikoleta. Unfortunately, the only photo I have of her short stay was this, taken at a cute village called Margarites, famous for their numerous ceramic stores.
Sep 25: Of course, this is how it always happens. Two days after my sister leaves, George the cabinet maker calls to install the bookshelf in the living room. Of course I am overjoyed, but sad that my sister can’t see the result. The bookshelf is massive, with a movable ladder. I am crossing my fingers that it fits all of our books. We probably have around 50-60 book boxes waiting to be opened.
So, we emptied all the boxes and was able to place about 60% of the books. Many of the technical books went to David’s mancave, music books went upstairs to our master bedroom, and each of the guest bedrooms received a mix of interesting books. That means my original plan of having all the books placed in the living room was grossly miscalculated. However, having a bookshelf in each of the guest bedrooms makes those rooms a little more interesting. Grab a book to read on your private balcony overlooking the ocean…..yeah……that works I think.
October
Starting out the month of October with an evening image I took from the living room balcony.
October 7: I wasn’t sure if I would ever see Jimmy Dean again after all the chaos and construction we had going on at the house. Much to my surprise, I saw him today so I quickly ran out to give him some water and treats. On the menu today – a carrot, apple, and three bowls of water ๐
After both Doungo and Gracie were sterilized, we thought we would try to capture Angel (aka: Angeliki, the Ungrateful One), so David bought this awesome live trap cage on Amazon.de. Much to our surprise, we caught one of the neighborhood male cats. This guy is big and heavy, but alas, now without gonads to terrorize females. We named him “Lucky” although he probably doesn’t feel so lucky. Needless to say, we haven’t seen too much of him since his return from the vet.
October 17: I guess the word is out. Come to the McFalakis sanctuary! We named her Shelley, and yes, she will also be sterilized.
And while we’re on the subject of animal sanctuary, here are some latest photos of the two cats that actually belong to us. Gracie (who needs to learn some manners), and Doungo (who enjoys giving us heart attacks by lounging on the edge).
October ends with a trip to one of our favorite coffee shops called Coco Cafe 89. Great little coffee shop with excellent food. I loved their coffee mugs so much that I found out where they got them made (in that cute little ceramics village Margarites), and got 4 of my own!
November
If some of you recall, way back, like 8 ish years ago, I started to pursue dual citizenship. I thought it would be easy since I am of Greek descent on both sides of my family (like 100%) and my mother was born on the island of Rhodes, which makes me 1st generation. Well, it wasn’t easy at all and took many years to complete – legally, I might add. I gave up several times, but the one person that kept driving me forward was my daughter Andrea. Really, she was relentless. Fast forward to today…..we both have our citizenship, I have already moved, and she is getting ready to move. November marks “Go” time in getting this house ready to receive the Kromerakis family. The plan is for them to stay with us for the winter months before moving permanently to Rhodes. Andrea was able to place the family home (where my mother was born) in her name, with all the taxes and paperwork legalized and up to date. Bravo Andrea!
This house has been such a mess and not kid/baby friendly for a long time, so I’m feeling anxious about making it safe, especially for Kassiani. My sister’s visit back in September gave me some insight on things to fix, but everything takes so much time!
Fortunately the front entryway is finally completed!
November 22: Four days before their arrival, we were able to secure new car seats. Boy, these things are WAY different than when my kids were young. Not the easiest to install, but they’re battleship ready.
Well, they finally made it! Arrival at the airport at 3:30pm Greek time. We came home as fast as we could as Ty had to immediately go to work (virtually) and put in an 8 hour work day (holy cow!). David had a space cleared in the mancave for Ty’s set up so he is in charge of getting Ty up and running. I in the meantime am soaking up the love of my granddaughters who I’ve missed dearly! I haven’t seen Kassiani since she was out of the hospital and Wow! she has grown!
November 27: Today is Thanksgiving for which I am so thankful for all God has given me. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier! Now, let’s see how we can pull off a proper Thanksgiving meal……..
I couldn’t find a turkey (apparently turkey’s are reserved for Christmas), so David is going to spin two whole chickens on the outdoor souvla. Andrea’s favorite is green bean casserole. Can’t find cream of mushroom soup or those crispy onion ring things, so I’m going to create them from scratch. Cornbread stuffing? I’m using Polenta to make cornbread from scratch and will use Cretan sausage instead of breakfast. I don’t have homemade chicken broth so I’m using bouillon cubes instead for the gravy. Homestyle mashed potatoes will round out the meal. Not the greatest plan but it’s all I’ve got for now.
December
December 4: Our first major rainstorm of the season, and our first water leak. Master bedroom. To be clear, this is not the area Ilias patched – this is on the north side of the room. This will have to be addressed in the spring, but in the meantime we will keep a bucket ready at all times.
December 17 – 19: As you know my daughter and her family are staying with us while they get situated in their new home in Rhodes. Part of this is having her household effects sent from Houston to Rhodes, but the shipping container must clear customs in Piraeus before leaving for Rhodes. That means she has to be present to exchange paperwork in Piraeus. Andrea went through the same process as I in getting the household effects certificate from the Greek Consulate in Houston. However, my process was much easier as our container went straight to Heraklion so I didn’t have to travel very far. So I volunteered to go with her to Piraeus, and while we were there, Andrea managed to set up doctor appointments for Kassiani at the Onassis clinic. We took the overnight ferry from Heraklion to Piraeus, stayed at an Airbnb, and ubered to wherever we needed to go instead of renting a car. While we were there, we made an evening stop at a place called Little Kooks in Athens. Amazing place!
Christmas Day! Well I didn’t get photos, but it was basically a Thanksgiving repeat, only we found a Turkey to the tune of 57euro. The food turned out great, but the drink Andrea made was fabulous!!!!! This is a Masticha Mojito using fresh mint from the herb garden.
December 28-30: Another quick ferry trip finds me this time in Rhodes; again to help watch the girls while Andrea & Ty oversee their household effects delivered. The highlight of this trip for me was watching this little one work on her walking skills.
And so we end the month of December the same way we started – with our precious Kassiani bringing us joy with her smile and zest for life. What a blessing from God!