The month of April has skittered away on little blogless feet

At least from my point of view.  It has been, from a blog reading perspective, obviously a DRY month. I'm sorry.

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But on another, and more positive note, you have all not had to share the annoying whining from me about:

- my computer troubles (Trojans, viruses, and worms, Oh My... all gone now) and of course my ongoing non available photos depository (which hopefully will be functional to me by the end of next month) My overloaded hard drive and my attempts to remove all my photos to memory sticks... See how lucky you've been?!

- our current benign house guest (Friend who used to own our dog Balou, and is in Corfu to deal with some business issues etc.)

- our HUGE and annoying search for the perfect house and animal sitter during our trip (yes everyone SAYS they want to do it, but usually not when we need them!!) and we found the perfect person.  He also knows how to fix things if they break so we are doubly blessed!!

- my upcoming departure (in ten days!) for the US (and all my clever whinging on THAT  issue)

- the latest in the continuing sa-aga of "what broke next" in our little house of dreams here in Corfu (but hey, the good news is the pool is full and I swam in it yesterday tho I am still marginally blue from the cold water...)

- my new ultra short hair cut.  (which I actually really like.)

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Since last we "spoke", we have bottled the wine (alas the only pictures today) which is still a bit sharp but I think may actually be pretty good by this fall!!

We ended up with more bottles that we expected!  (T's late harvest attempt is not included in these photos as it was murky and we felt that perhaps it needed a bit more "resting time")

We are pleased with the color and the clarity - and just in case it's not so nice this fall...- it WILL  make beautiful vinegar for Christmas and go perfectly with our new olive oil that will be harvested this autumn.  (we KNOW that always turns out!)

It makes us a little sad but we are not planting a vegetable garden this year as we will not be here for the most important stage of growing. 

T leaves on the 20 May and we both get back home, in the middle of June. 

Amazingly we will be flying home together.  We haven't traveled either to or from the States together for years!

Slowly slowly we are getting ourselves psyched for the "great move" of my mother from New Mexico to Chicago.  Doing much of this by telephone is VERY stressful.  (It's also stressful for my mother who has VERY mixed feelings about leaving her hometown for the past 35 years.)

Her 3 grandson's and 2 great grandsons on the other had are really happy she will be closer and more available to visit and relate to.  Her great granddaughter will even take a shot at visiting her more frequently now that she's on the same side of the country (although South Carolina and Illinois are NOT actually close, they are still closer than South Carolina and New Mexico!)

I have arranged to take the Southwest Chief (train) from Santa Fe/Lamy to Chicago with my mother. 

She and I will share a room and see the country pass by the window for 27 hours!  My mother always wanted to take that trip, but never got around to it.  I figured we'd do it while T supervised the packers at the house. 

We'll arrive a bit before the household goods will arrive, but Lincolnwood has provided my mother with a hospitality suite for her to stay in until her things are moved into her apartment.

She's picked out a lovely two bedroom apartment and when T arrives he will start with the help of his sons (and a great friend who has tools!) to turn the second bedroom into a library for all my mother's beloved books.

We'll settle her in and then on the 13 of June have a birthday party in the community's private dining room - my mother turns 85!

We're hoping that all will come together with the fewest problems ever. 

I am sure we are optimists, but Oh Well!

What I am looking forward to when I get to the USA...

I am REALLY looking forward to seeing my Chicago sons and their ladies.

Of course, I totally want to hug him, but I will have to wait until my darling baby grandson gets used to me... (he doesn't remember me, as I was there when he was born and again when he was a wee one who napped in my arms!)

I looked forward to reconnecting with now licensed (a learners permit! AHGG!) and driving grandson in Michigan, and of course, his father, my number one and firstborn son.

I look forward to dropping into assorted bookstores in the Chicago area, both new and used, and wrapping myself up in books again.

[As an ex-librarian, that is the hardest thing to separate myself from... all the books I used to have at my fingertips!]

I will relish the delights of whiling away several hours, just book browsing! I so look forward to the smell of new books in the big bookstores, and I relish the thought of the quiet hush of concentration in the used bookstores.

I have already got my list of books by my favorite authors, and I know which one's have just published their latest!

I am totally looking forward to seeing both the ever changing Lake Michigan and the amazing skyline of downtown Chicago.

I know it will be cold and blustery but that too has it own charms.

I hope I am lucky enough to catch the last bit of fall colours as it can be a most spectacular show in the Midwest of the United States.

I know I'll get a chance to roam around downtown, and I look forward to State Street and Michigan Avenue. I plan on doing a lot of window shopping (O.K., with a few serious shopping moments) but I know I'll enjoy the hustle and bustle on the streets and I really DO enjoy riding the El train into the "Loop".!

I know I'll meet my sons for lunch downtown. I'll walk down LaSalle Street and enjoy the marvelous architecture and design of the Art Deco touches on so many buildings.

I might even find time to leave the city and head out to one of those marvelous outlet malls, that seem like self-contained foreign shopping countries...

I am looking forward to seeing my mother again, as she will be flying to Chicago for a week midway through my visit. We will scope out a few retirement places and I am even (sort of) looking forward to it, though I know it will be difficult with my mother not really wanting to move from New Mexico, but needing to. The great news will be that my mother, myself and her grandsons, will be able to enjoy a bit of the weekend together and share a couple of meals all together as a family, and make some new memories.

I have a lot to be thankful for.

But I am not looking forward to the snow, which will certainly put in an appearance and inspire me to purchase boots and a warmer coat, so I can navigate in it!

I am glad that I have sons, as at least I will not have to shovel it away!

I am currently booked to leave Corfu this Sunday morning so I am guessing, what with packing and last minute things (like getting my hair cut tomorrow!), my next post will be from the USA, and lovely Chicago.

I will try to keep the blog updated on the fate of T and the large hole (or "the abyss" as we refer to it... not fondly.) I will try and post pictures and give you a view into what I am babbling about. Sadly, T is not too technical (hahahahaha) so there won't be any good pictures of Corfu for about a month.

Sigh. I will miss this my Corfu home but I have been blessed with many places I can call home!


[The "soundtrack of my life" is currently set on Chicago Blues Music. I hope you enjoy it. If not just click it off.]

POSTSCRIPT: I will also miss my beautiful and only granddaughter Alexa, who just turned 21 years old this month, BUT as she's living in South Carolina and going to University there, I won't be able to see her. She decided to spend Thanksgiving in Washington DC, before she knew about my visit- and I am happy for her (but very sad for me!!!) The good news is that of course, being in the US will make phone calls easier. Alexa will have her own post one of these days...

Dekapenthimero (δεκαπενθήμερο)

Dekapenthimero (δεκαπενθήμερο) means fifteen days. T will be gone for fifteen days and I will be on my own with the dog, the cats and the grapes.

Early this morning, I drove T to the "Ioannis Kapodistrias" airport. (5:30 AM IS early.) It was surprisingly busy and teeming with people arriving, and a fleet of charter buses loading up to carry them all, well, elsewhere (wherever they cart tourist en mass off to... hotels, holiday villages, Aqualand??).

Meanwhile T has a long day ahead of him. First he flies to Athens (1 hour) then from there (after a minor 3 hour wait) direct to New York (11 hours!) From New York, (after a 2 hour wait), he connects to his last flight of the day to Chicago (another 3 hours flying time) he arrives at 7 pm local time, warmly greeted by strong son to tackle suitcase and cart him off to apartment with guest room. So after 20 hours of traveling time he will be able to finally rest his weary bones

HA! I have no doubt that it will easily be another 3 or 4 hours as collecting luggage from and then getting out of O'Hare Airport is no quick trick! Then too there will be the general greeting of family and probably meal of some sort. Plus he will have caught his second or third wind and hold together for a while anyway.

On the one hand I envy him seeing everyone, on the other hand I really feel for him and his weary bones! As a former world traveling mega star, T (in his previous pre- "retired" life) has learned how to conserve his energy. He is one of the few people who, shortly after he straps himself into the seat, can automatically fall asleep, making him the least fun person to sit next to if you happen to be a chatty individual.

We once counted the number of countries he worked in and traveled to and came up with 60. He's flown pretty much every airline (and many that no longer exist) and is very familiar with the artificial existence of life on board an airplane for long haul flights. He's had many adventures; some interesting, some baffling, a few scary, and a couple downright dangerous. But that is all thankfully in the past. Now he's just going for family sake. Now he only travels because he wants to travel, not because he has to travel.

Still, travel isn't as much fun as it used to be. Now it's all about the destination I suppose But in another time, "travel" used to be as much about the journey as the destination.


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