All the good

An abbreviated list

1. For the past month we’ve been staying at our neighbor’s house. When I say house, what I should say is a cozy Greek villa with an endless view, surrounded by lush vegetation. Jonathan works outside on the immense stone patio, we make coffee and meals in the outdoor kitchen. Inside is an open beam ceiling, stone floors, and lovely antique furniture. If you didn’t know that our house was flooded twice, you would think we won the lottery. Our neighbor is a retired electrical engineer who lives in Athens. He and a couple of buddies bought this land in the ’70s and built five-second homes on the hillside property over the decades. Unfortunately the lowest house on the hillside, closest to ours, also flooded. Ares's graciousness will never be forgotten. Yes, he is named after the God of War, his sweet daughter is named Artemis, and her children are Apollo and Athena.

2. My friend English friend Chris Carpenter found us a lovely six-month rental in Argalasti starting November 1st. It is on the edge of town with an acre of fenced property, truly perfect for us and the dogs. Marielle, the owner of the property, lives in London, she has never met us but is graciously renting us her house because of our situation.

3. On Friday we are driving to Bulgaria to spend time with dear friends, and for a change of scenery. My former colleague and his sweet wife have a second home on Vitosha mountain with a fenced yard, and lovely hiking right out the door. We will spend a couple of weeks catching up with friends, cruising around my favorite city in the world, eating delicious food, and hoping that the distance from the disaster zone will give us a new perspective.

4. Jonathan my steadfast, loving, patient husband. More could be said, but I wouldn’t want to live through a major disaster with anyone else.

5. Family and friends all over the world who check in frequently. I miss you, think about you all the time, forever grateful.

6. Two days ago we finally got running water. I am down at our house once again cleaning metal/plastic chairs, tables, storage containers, closet organization, trolley, and a bed. This time I am not leaving it at the house but schlepping it up the hillside to a covered storage area away from the mud, and threat of more flooding.

I truly do not believe that hardship happens for a reason, instead, it is up to us to make meaning out of it. We get to choose the direction forward, we get to choose how to respond. My heart bursts with all the acts of kindness and generosity that I feel in the world every day.