Week in Review

First of all I would like to thank everyone who stopped by and commented on my posts this week. You bring me encouragement and comfort, you refresh me and you warm me with your kindness and insights. May God bless you all.

This was a rather good week, not least because of all the love and prayer I have been showerd with. My treatment seems to work to some extend, in that I do not burst uncontrolably into tears in the midst of a conversation, for example, but I still find dealing with people a strain.
I did consult with my endocrinologist who had no idea what was happening to me, and we have decided that I should call him when I feel ready. One doctor at a time, you have to wait for your turn.

Psychologically, for awhile I was ready to fall back into the pit, when we learned that the father of a very good friend of ours, a Greek expat from Latin America, suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side. It is tragic because his son cannot visit him right now, and I have been asking C to arrange for a visit to the Athens hospital where he is right now.
There are some people that cover you with kindness and appreciation and I just hate seeing people like these suffer or even go. I have known this person for so many years and he has always been there for me. He came to Greece some twenty years ago and he has everything pretty much in perspective. A generous man. I pray to God that he should recover and that his son may come and see him.

As far as I am concerned I am pleased to say that I managed to control myself, to stop the emotional tide, and pull myself together before things got out of hand. I didn't want to call my doctor, I wanted to try on my own and I managed OK.

One of the best days of the week were two afternoons that I walked our eldest, F, who is 12 to her afternoon English class. We walked side by side. She was relaxing her pace for me to catch up with her, and she talked to me about her anxieties and fears, without my even asking. She was also tender with me although she is entering the rebelious years, and she just makes my heart yearn for her and I so much want to support her. F will be seating her First Certificate exam in December. I insisted that she took both the Michigan and the Cambridge ones, although it means extra fees, just to make sure that we have the local bureaucracy covered. Then she wil hopefullyl be able to move on to the Proficiency and be done with the paperwork proving her ability in English.
Right now she is reading Farmer Boy from The Little House series, and I am glad she is relaxing.

On my way back I stopped there and then, sat and read the evening prayer and a couple of pages from the Mary book. It is amazing how one can have a retreat anywhere, even of it is in a street. After that I lost the book. I do not know what to make of it. Either "someone" does not want me to keep on reading , or God wants me to stop and do the Bible study. I am not sure. I've still got the Mary heart book. I'd like to share with you a few lines that I find particularly interesting.

"It is hard to imagine the Creator of the universe wanting to know us. We feel so unworthy. That's why many of us persist in thinking that we must earn our way to heaven, that only the superspiritual -only the Simeons of this world - can really know God. Burdened with the weight of our own spirituality, we struggle beneath a load of self-imposed obligatons: "I have to do this..." or "I can't really know God until I do that..." We can spend so much of our lives getting ready to know God or backing away out of fear of displeasing God that we never get around to enjoying the Living Room In timacy Jesus came to provide. (...)

When we couldn't reach up to heaven, heaven came down to us and welcomed us into the Living Room through the doorway of Jesus Christ. That is the good news of the gospel. The way has been made. The priice has been paid. All we need to do is come"
(p.66)

Workwise it was an OK week, nothing exciting. The factory is trying to catch up with orders after the fire. I still do not want to think about it, and how silly they were to be without security or insurance. They are at about 30% effective but they hope to be at 50% this week an dto reach previous production levels by the end of october.
Work projects are pretty scarce, I suppose it has to do with the political uncertainty and the economic measures that the re-elected conservative government is going to propose regarding retirement and pensions. We do have some orders for beds and a chest of drawers so I hope that these will help us keep our heads above the water, especially with the private schools all three children attend. But we really couldn't take it any longer with the public system. Or lack of it. Especially the so-called progressive propaganda...Ugh.
Honnestly I think that Greeks living abroad are better Greeks and love Greece more than those living in the country itself. Which is a pitty. It mainly has to do with governments and politics, and the lack of self-esteem.

C's parents came over on Saturday. They will be staying with us for the next 10 days. Not the right time, if you ask, but I have decided I am gonna handle it, keep my mouth shut as always and wait for the storm to pass.
There is another thing that impressed me. C's mom bought the girls a Monopoly which unlike our previous old fashioned wooden one, is electronic. All transactions are operated via credit card (V+I*S=A). Isn't it gross for people to be introduced to plastic money and possibly become addicted to it from such a young age? I really would like to make the thing disappear!

Our house isn't doing much progress. I think I'll begin posting photos to attract some benevolent vibes from the universe, and for me to be able to see some progress. We probably won't move in before Christmas, and that means we'll have to wait till Easter, after the rains stop.

Thank you for stopping by my Week in Review. Have an enjoyable week ahead.