1/5 Of A Lifetime Since A Post

so, normally when i don't post for a while, it feels like it has been a long time, but it really has not been all that long for most of us. for instance, a month is only, at this point, roughly 1/344th of my life, not that big-a-deal. however, the perception of time is a subjective one, what is 1/344th of my life has been 1/5th of artemis', wow.  So a lot has happened, and yet not much.  i'll post some pictures, they won't be in order, and i'll post some stories, they won't be in order. so, hopefully in the end there will be some kind of map for the last month and a half.

this was artemis' first trip to the beach. it was still a bit cold for a swim, but nice to be there anyways.

we had been staying in the village, and had a chance to take xristos and katerina out for the day. we stopped at this park to play around for a bit.

a couple of sleeping pictures for your enjoyment.

one of the cutest. i was leaving the house one morning and found the girls holding hands while sleeping.

so, artemis and i ran the 9th annual megas alexandros marathon (we ran the 5k). we ran for an NGO called A21, it raises awareness in an attempt to help victims of human trafficking in the bulkans, a huge problem, one of the organisers has students at the school.  here she is pre-race representing.

off the couch warm up.  it rained a little bit, but we still managed a respectable 28 minutes. it was so much fun. she was awake for about 1/3 of the run and then fell asleep. she is the best. smiling, laughing and looking cute for everyone around.

pre-race pep talk. the stroller held up well, it is possibly our best purchase.

serious breathing prep, gotta get that oxygen.



in video 1 skip to 4:30, and in video 2 skip to 3:19:30. i don't know how the licensing stuff works, but i don't own either video; however, i am in both, so i publish them here.

had our DHL emergency blanket for the end (no emergency, it was raining)

first medal. gotta make sure that the success does not go to her head.

we went to chania, crete for easter. we went down to hang out with georgia, litsa, manolis and the girls.  we spent some time in the monasteries there, crazy pretty. they are in the italian style which makes them pretty different from what you see on the mainland.  it is our new favourite place, we actually looked for houses and a school, but no luck.

the hostesses were wonderful, as always.

the colours were immense.

the weather was a good bit colder than we anticipated, so artemis spent a lot of time in her fleece monster onesy (sp?) and we had to buy her a new coat.  she loves walks and hikes, so this was one of our biggest. we walked down to see the following: a large cave used as a small orthodox shrine, that used to be a meeting place for the worship of the goddess artemis, a medieval bridge and rock-hewn church, a beautiful fiord, and the sea.  

this plant is poisonous, and known locally as "the food of the snake".

cold, but i couldn't resist.

the hikers.

old olive tree in an old building.

this is the first time i have seen a birds of paradise planted outside of a botanical garden, costa rica or a pot.

climbing looked good, but no chance to really explore.

one of the many little streets of the harbour. all were full of b&b's, apartments, craft shops, cafes and restaurants.  beautiful

we went paddle boating on a lake (crete had it all).  reminded me of G'pa R's old ride.

passion flowers.  first time i have ever seen these. amazing.

one of my students told me that my daughter is going to be like matilda, well read and clever.  Looks like . . .

. . . maybe not.

a meeting of generations. this is eleftheria's grandmother, Kalliroy. she came out to the village to stay for a while. it was a great opportunity to get together.

for eleftheria's first mother's day we went to the beach. had a wonderful day. relaxation and family.

artemis seemed to enjoy the beach.

we started sitting!!! and everything goes in the mouth. it seemed like just a habit, until we realised her first tooth is coming in. they grow up so fast.

got outside for my first climbing trip since last june. crazy. overweight and out of shape, but the weather and rocks were beautiful.

so, artemis went to her first gallery opening.  a friend of ours is a curator for a gallery in athens called TAF, which has opened a sister gallery in thessaloniki, so we went for the opening.  it is a beautiful space in one of the old warehouses in laladika. there is a showroom, with one more being prepped, and a bar in the back.  it was a great opportunity to get dressed up and head into town.

cool iron work, and nice lighting. the space is still under construction, but looked wonderful for the show.

all of the tiles were the same size and handed out to different artists. each artist was asked to give there impression of the "looking up". pretty cool.

wonderful turn out, and the first show was a wonderful intro.

this is our friend ifigenia in her element.  here is the link to their website in english. pretty cool stuff.

found this guy on the door to the building, and i am pretty psyched with how the photo turned out.

little bit of attitude.  i like it . . . for now.

we got a new carrier, and she seems happy about the new ride.

family in the forest.  we went to the mountain for a bit of a hike.  nice and relaxing. the birds were going off.

proof of our daughters genius, she can play the piano with her face.

one final sleeping picture. "yeah honey, no worries, i'll play with her for a bit."

so, i don't particularly like mac's, but i must say, their propensity for organisation has allowed me to keep a pretty tight post here.  the piano pic, and the last pics in the woods, are from today, and despite my intro, i think everything else is pretty chronological also. so, i think you are caught up.

if you are around in late june/early july in northeast ohio, artemis will be making her first world tour, and trust me, i have seen her live show, it'll knock your socks off.  see you there, or somewhere else.

love, luck and lollipops