Over the Rainbow

Last week, because I felt a little homesick, I had in mind to post this message to my friends and family on Facebook: Click, click, click. There's no place like home, there's no place like home. And then this happened:

And I realized that I was over the rainbow. 

Click on the photo for a larger view. It's a double rainbow. It felt as if I could reach out and touch it. I think I did.

First Morning at Akrimios

Last night, Ingrid gave me half a loaf of fresh baked bread, butter, and fruit. She told me to help myself to tea and coffee in her workspace downstairs. I found a jar of honey here in my kitchenette. What a delightful breakfast I had, sitting at the window looking out at the sea and mountains. A former me might have felt sad for having no one with whom to share this lovely morning. I do not feel sad at all. I am filled with quiet bliss. And I am not alone. I am sharing it with you.

I am a voice from your future, bidding you come. Let go of those things that weigh you down. Keep to those roots that nourish you, and pull up those that hold you back. Take the risk, spread your wings, and fly.

The Gold

You don’t always have to spin disappointment into gold. Sometimes, all you have to do is change your perspective. Stand in a different place, take another look, and you find that the very thing that disappointed you was a nugget of gold all along.

*  *  *

How did I get here? I know the facts, I remember arriving, and still I wonder, how on earth did I get here?

I am sitting in my own little apartment. An entry hall, private bath with shower, a kitchenette, two twin beds, a wardrobe in which to hang my clothes (maybe that’s how I got here, through the wardrobe), and a huge balcony overlooking the bay. When I first stepped out onto the balcony, the mountains, sea, and sky stole my breath away, and I wept.

Marianna, my previous host, made some phone calls and hooked me up with Ingrid, my current host. Ingrid is originally from Austria and has lived on Crete for nearly thirty years. She and her husband Petros, a native of Crete, have four adult children. They own a retreat center and banquet facility not far from Chania. Above the retreat center are several apartments that they rent out, often to retreat guests. I live in one of the apartments in exchange for cleaning and gardening, getting the apartments and the grounds ready for spring.

There is so much more I want to tell you -- about going with Ingrid to her house this evening, having dinner together by the fire, sharing amazing local wine, fresh baked bread, and enlightened conversation. Then back here to the apartment. I unpacked, took a shower, and here I am, all clean and comfy in my jammies and thick warm socks.

Off to bed. I can hardly wait for sunrise.

The Disappointment

I've been told that there isn't enough work to support two helpers. The other helper will stay, I will leave.

Not much to say about that at the moment. That's just the way it is.

I have a few entries on my hard drive that I wrote while the internet was down. I will add them another time. Right now, I'm going to bed. I need my energy for all the gold-spinning I'm about to do.