From Rags to Greece's Riches: Karma's Point of View

This is my rescue Karma in Robeson County Animal Control, May 22, 2010, first time I saw her! Traumatized and scared. A tiny 7.5 malnourished pounds at age 3 months. Karma now enjoying a sunset on Poros island, Greece, at age 4.5 years! What a difference in the life of this sweetie! And to be fair, here is also my lover boy Koal who is now 13.5 years old; I got him when he was 8 weeks old! 

Home Sweet Home…Spiti Glyko Spiti!

Nice and simple decor! Keeping it this way! Photos are pretty self-explanatory: I have two bedrooms, a master bath AND a powder/laundry room (a half bath is rather rare in an apartment here), kitchen/dining with desk area, living room…two balconies…a really nice and large open space!

Everything is here and done except putting together 4 shelving units and 2 lamps! Tasos and his dad George came over yesterday and helped install my washing machine and assemble Ikea furniture! It's like the family I never had! Then today George cooked Sunday lunch and Diony was calling me to come out on the balcony so she could hand me a plate full! Thank goodness there are some really nice people in the world! Very blessed here!

The Headaches of Buying Sheets and Bedding Update…Saga Over for Now...

Decided to hell with the colors matching and just bought an array of pieces in all my favorites! Works for me! I also now have nice warm duvets in covers, too, thanks to Tasos ordering these for me for delivery from Ikea when he was in Athens this week! I learned you order duvets by number for their warmness factor so he got me No. 3s. If you shop at Ikea at all you will see what I mean. I am learning! He's so helpful!

A bed all done up and ready for me…and my fur babies...

Ahhh, completed…

It's the Simple Things that Hold the Magic…and My Heart...

If you have never fallen in love with a holiday spot, then Greece is the place to change all that. It is magical and you will leave your soul here and want to come back time and time again -- as I did. I was addicted; Greece is the natural drug I cannot do without!

It’s the simple things:

Having fresh dill in the veggie bin and when you open the refrigerator door that wonderful aroma permeates right out of the fridge.

Smelling the jasmine each time I walk down my lane.

Amita brand juice – sour cherry, peach, pomegranate…delicious!

Sea glass!

Hearing your landlord and friend calling me to come to my balcony so she can hand me a plate of homemade sweets or Greek cuisine, still hot out of Diony’s oven. A mere 18 inches or so separates our balconies so it’s an easy transfer! ;-)

Having tourists ask me for directions! ;-)

Learning more Greek words/phrases daily – and using them unabashedly here.

Fresh fruit – as in still on the trees – everywhere!

I know the fruit and vegetables and seafood is far fresher here than many places in the world, but it’s amazing how everything and anything tastes so much better here – even a sandwich with potato chips!

Receiving deliveries from Athens of things you have ordered and knowing what you've ordered but tearing into them like it's Christmas anyway, not knowing which is in which!

Pretty yarn bombings covering tree limbs and benches in Poros…a type of graffiti, but oh-so-much nicer than that on walls...

Taking an afternoon nap -- ipnaki -- with the sheer white curtains billowing in the breeze in my bedroom.

Fresh laundry dried by the sun!

I rarely turn on the TV here but once in a while I catch a "Revenge" rerun.

The sunsets…gorgeous every single day!

The pureness, clearness and blueness of the sea!

A precious Greek yia via named Casella (spelling?) who gave me pretty red flowers she had picked and was carrying as she approached me and the dogs by the sea today and then she sat down on a bench and talked my ears off…even though she knew I didn't understand. We laughed and laughed, and I also nodded my head and agreed with everything she said! 

Yia yia Casella's flowers 

To be continued as I will certainly be adding to this list…

Kormos from Diony's kitchen (chocolate log kept in freezer and yummy (nostimo)!)

The gorgeous sea color here -- and so clear and  pure!

The turquoise sea

To pay homage to my love of spicy hot foods I have been making homemade salsa with some hot chili peppers I found at the market. I use fresh limes and parsley from the garden in the yard. Managed to find a big bag of tortilla chips from one market here, which is no easy feat. Bravo! Oh! And pan de chocolate on the side!  

Yarn bombing (Google it!)

Ipnaki -- little nap -- time and curtains billowing in the breeze in my bedroom

Greek food done right!

Yarn bombing (Google it!)

Laundry day -- all fresh and sun-kissed

Sometimes there are "Revenge" reruns on in English; I rarely watch TV here though

The Headaches of Buying Sheets and Bedding

The only really strange thing here so far is trying to simply buy bed sheets and bedding. I am used to buying a package that includes a fitted sheet, a top sheet, and two pillowcases for a queen-size bed, for example. Easy enough! But here it's like putting a jigsaw puzzle together and drives me crazy. Here, you buy a fitted sheet and then you buy a top sheet and then you buy pillowcases and all the while you try to make sure everything matches or at least somewhat complements each other. This is why Diony (landlord's very precious mom) and I were already in Poros and then over to Galatas just trying to get me all the pieces for the beds (there is one double and two twin beds). We have had to now order fitted sheets for the twin beds from a store in Athens to come to their store in Galatas at a future date. I now have all the other pieces except these two fitted sheets. As far as bed coverings, well, granted, that is another story in itself but I had Tasos (landlord) order bed duvet covers and pillow covers with the correct duvets bought separately this week in person at Ikea while he is in Athens. He has been so helpful and exceptional! I am very thankful. 

I'm getting there…slowly, slowly…

Some of my deliveries today from Ikea and Pet City (large bag of salmon/trout dog food). More Ikea coming and also a washing machine and small hand vacuum from another company. Should have everything here this week. Update: As I type this Tasos called and said the rest of my deliveries should be here within 10 minutes or so!

Awaiting fitted sheets for these two beds

Have the new pretty sheets for the double bed unopened because I am waiting on my duvet, duvet cover and pillow shams. I brought my smaller Sobakawa pillow with me on the plane and the larger Sobakawa is being mailed in one of my boxes from the US.

I hope this is everything although I am wondering about the sofa size judging from the box…