debsthoughtstoday

Not much new here. It was covered in fog this morning, again. Now it is almost as hot as Summer outside. The fridges we have inside make me feel like I am working in a fridge. lol We are still busy with tourists during the hours I work. About 99% of the tourists who come in the store are friendly and happy, this makes work a pleasure. We had only a 200 Euro profit for April. I hope this month is much better.  My 7 to 10 min. drive to work now takes at least 15 mins. That shows how many more people are here on the island.

I haven’t gone to church or swimming. I miss church. Taki and M-J go swimming almost everyday.

When I am home I feel numb. I am trying to pull myself out of it. I barely do housework and cooking has become a chore instead of a pleasure. I haven’t made any sweets of any kind for two months or more. My poor kids and me. I don’t watch much tv. I rented two movies last night to treat myself. One was so boring that I couldn’t watch it. This is very very very rare for me. The other one was The Tourist (Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie). I now know why it got bad ratings.

 An interesting thing happened on Friday. Two Jewish families came in the shop. They asked to leave a 100 Euro note with us. Why? It is so they can follow their religious beliefs. They cannot handle money from sunset of Friday until Sunday or Monday. So they come in and take things that they want or need. We attach the reciept to their 100 Euro note. We will give them their change when they can handle money again. One of the men even wore his “Kippah”. They also left money with the tavern owner next door for the same reason. I wanted to talk to them more about this belief. I haven’t seen them since then. One of the men came in to get an ice cream earlier today. We started talking about the island. I was waiting for the chance to ask about this money handling custom of his. His wife then came to get him and they left oh well. I shall look it up on the internet. 😛

I hope your day(s) are postive, be well, take care and don’t forget, “If you see someone without a smile give them one of yours”!

The weather is the typical for us in April and May. Yesterday was one of those amazing days though. The entire island was smothered in fog. You could only see about one car link in front of you. Our European sized cars not those big old American ones. lol It was beautiful and creepy at the same time. Today the sun is out bright and warm but the strong wind is cold.

I got really frustrated with the computer and re-started it. Everything worked fine again. It turns out that I had somehow unlocked the numbers lock key and that was the whole problem. So I got mad at myself for all the drama. Next I changed the paper for the customer receipts. The first one stuck and then only gave me an error code for the next customer. I called Maria for help but she was waiting for her replacement to come. He was already a 1/2 hour late. She said just re-start the cmputer. I laughed and re-started the computer for the second time today. BROTHER! I still got an error on the customer reciept machine. So I called Maria AGAIN! She told me to re-start the computer AGAIN! I did!!! To my annoyance and frustration and irration and lost customers it gave the same error. Maria couldn’t leave the hotel and I didn’t know what else to try. I made an EXECUTIVE decision (snort cough snort) to turn off the computer. I turned it off. Took a deep breath, turned it back on and wah-lah! WE are doing just fine thank you very very very much! PHEW!

George called to tell that he me aced his first final. Michael-John went home with Taki to eat lunch, do his English homework and walk to English school. Yesterday M-J finally had enough money to buy the soccer shoes he wanted. He has saved and saved and saved. God Bless him and his control on spending. They are colored like the Spain soccer team. Maria was with us. She checked the pretty shoes in the store next to the athlectic shop. I saw a few from the window that I would like to have and with good prices.

Taki is a happy camper. I boiled up the beets and their tops for his lunch today. lol I will eat mine with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and a chunk of Feta when I get home later. Ever present this time of the year is a “Greek” salad and always with fresh bread.

leaving you with love hugs and kisses, Deb

I wrote a few postcards and mailed a total of 24. Only three of those were mine. We take postcards with or without stamps and mail them for tourists. My favorite postcards are the ones with recipes on them.

I made lunch that turned out yummy. I uncased a sausage. Sauted the meat with look like large ground bits of beef. I added one medium chopped onion, about a tablespoon of olive oil, sauted that until the onion was soft. I added three cloves of crushed garlic. I let the garlic get soft. I added one can of chopped tomatoes. Then I added about 500ml. of my homemade Santorini tomatoe sauce. I let that simmer unitl it started to thicken. The original recipe called for fresh basil, chopped finely. I didn’t have any so I added some oregano (dried from my friend garden). While all that was going on I was boiling some Kofto macaroni (looks like broken elbow macaroni). The original recipe called for Penne ( I didn’t have any.) At the very end I added about 1 and 1/2 cups of cream into the sauce. Then I poured the sauce over the almost ala dente pasta. Stirred and served with freshly grated Parmesan. That was some seriously good eating! The side dish was tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and a hunk of Feta. Also we are lucky to have fresh baked bread every day.

This radio station is playing in the background today.

http://www.cbn.com/radio/country/

I listen to different things at different times and days. Most of the time Taki has it on a Greek station. It  throws the tourists off when they walk into the shop and hear Country. lol

Maria went to one of chilhood friends’ Mom’s second wedding. They babtized the half sister (7 months old) after the wedding. Maria had a blast. She could barely get up the next morning for work.

George has his first final tomorrow. He is cramming today.

Michael-John worked yesterday at the store and made 5 Euro’s. He will work again today. He won’t work on Wednesday or Friday. He has English lessons. He is saving to buy a used bike. The bike is valued at 200 Euro’s but he will get it for 60 Euro’s. He is VERY excited.

Taki doesn’t have a positive attitude but I do. The hours I work are steady. We won’t be rich but it is a good thing. I have Faith and that helps my attitude.

I hope you all have Faith. Trust in the Lord and Pray and Believe.

With more love than I can say…I think or you all often.

Taki and I got to the store and it had no electricity. We couldn’t open the heavy metal gate that we installed years ago. (After being broke into for the third time.) The scariest part was that the neighbors had electricity. UH OH!!! We have a huge freezer inside, we have two huge refridgerators and one small inside. Outside we have two ice cream freezers and a small freezer with ice. We were scared! Taki screamed and cussed every thing and everyone. I prayed silently and tried not to cry. We tried to get everything going again. There are two places that something might have gone wrong. We checked the first one over and over and could find nothing wrong. Then out of the blue Taki remembered the one in the office. He flicked it back on and YEAH, thank God, everything was up and working again. Then we found out that the largest ice cream freezer had quit! Thus knocking out all electricity in the store. There is an electrician here that works for this ice cream company. Taki called him immediately. The guys says to Taki don’t ever call me at home again. Taki was surprised and asked if he had the right phone # and the right person.  This was the right guy. The electrician said to only call him on his cell phone from now on. Taki apologized again. Then this silly bugger tells Taki that he will only come to fix the freezer if the distributor of this ice cream brand calls him and tells him to. So Taki thanks the guy and calls the distributor. The distributors like, huh?, what? uh huh whatever I will call the repair guy. So the distributor calls the repair guy ON HIS CELL PHONE as requested. The guy won’t answer his cell phone!!! ANYWAY…the repair finally came and fixed the fridge. It was a lousy way to start a day.

By the way this is the norm here. With any all repair people. lol

Michael-John and George were in the bright sunshine playing with a basketball when I left the house for my 2nd shift at the shop.

Maria is working in the reception of the Hotel called “On The Rocks”. The first hotel she worked for in April hasn’t paid her. That is so messed up! I have been thinking I might call them and ask them to pay her. Then I think NO, she is 20 now let her take care of it.

It poured rain off and on yesterday. Today we are back to Summer like weather.

I miss you one and all, with love Debra

It’s been a relaxing day. I spent a few hours in the shop. Then a few hours at home. I am back at the shop now. Taki wants to see a soccer game so I will close the shop about 23:30. This gives me time to read emails. Lat night about 21:30 I went to Galatea’s place. She took me out for a bacon cheeseburger. It was yummy. It was 23:30 by the time we got back to her place. I left her there and went to pick up Taki. The night before I went to a friends “farm house” to help celebrate her birthday and two others. It was yummy grilled chicken and extra yummy desserts. These are the ladies I go to church with. It was wonderful to see them. I miss them very much.

George is studying for final exams now. Maria is still putting in ten hours a day average at her job. They haven’t paid her yet and it is near two months she has worked for them. That makes me angry. Michael-John rides his bike that he bought for 3.50 Euro’s or plays soccer. Taki is under less stress because the store has customers. I miss church and I am tired. Otherwise I am fine.

I got a box with Brooks re-union shirts in it from Sherrell. If I get paid I am going to send her something. It was such a surprise.

Ok I guess that will do it for today. with love, Deb

Who knows if this will work, nobody!

It’s a cool cloudy day. Taki is taking Michael-John to get a shot.

M-J missed half of school yesterday. Taki took him to the pediatrician to get a shot he needs. The Dr. wrote the prescription. He has to have all his shots or they won’t let him play on the soccer team.

We want to support Ereni-Maria’s  pharmacy here in Imerovigli. She is the daughter of a friend. Taki took the prescrition to her. She ordered the medicine needed and Taki and M-J are picking it up today.

I hope Taki drops Michael-John off at school after he gets the shot. I can then go home early and  get some things done. Yesterday I had two hours at home and that isn’t enough time for me.

I set this blog up so I could click like on a recipe on someone else’s blog. rotflol. I have no idea what I am doing. I do hope someday to have my own computer and internet at home. That way I can make this into something. lol

Have a great day! with me in your thoughts and you in mine, Deb