Home Sweet Cinder Block

Greetings everyone,

We are finally home. Home sweet home. Or I should say, home sweet cinder block. Because that's exactly what we live in... 3-story cinder block. I guess being in the states for the past few weeks has spoiled us. In the short time we became accustomed to the comforts of the good ole United States of America.

Yes, a 3-story cinder block. The entire house is made of concrete, marble, and tile. When I first saw the house I loved it. Loved the entryway... all the marble... tile everywhere. Every square inch (or meter) is covered with the stuff. It was beautiful, clean and white as far as the eye could see. White tile, cream-colored marble, white concrete walls. And for a person that has to have things a certain way (plain colors, clean lines, everything neatly in it's place)...it was wonderful. Did I mention the grout is also white?


Or should I say was. Key word - was. We have a dog. Miss Peabody. She goes outside for the restroom. We have red clay outside. And we no longer have white grout inside. Have you every tried to clean light colored marble tile with white grout? There is just so much of it. Everywhere! Three floors of "now" clay stained flooring. Oh, and as for the white walls... this past winter, we tried to use the fireplace (instead of the ever expensive electric heating and the even more expensive oil radiators). Every time the wind blew a certain way (which was often).....the smoke billowed back into the house. So the walls are now stained with soot. And yes it blew all the way up to the 3rd floor. Don't ask me how... it just did.


Once we moved in.....

Our cinder block house.... imagine heating concrete during the winter? I think it took 3 days for the house to reach positive on the Fahrenheit scale. However, in the summer the concrete and tile are nice and cool. Sometimes to stretch out on the bare floor is the coolest and most comfortable place indoors. (It's the outside temperatures that are scorching beyond comfort)

Our 220 volts of electricity cinder block house.....We did not bring a lot of electrical appliances because they were all 110 volts. We have what has been termed as "dirty power." It surges high and low and zaps the plugged-in appliances. Then the power is constantly going out... sometimes its our fault... You cannot run the dryer and the iron at the same time. If you try.... you throw a breaker. You cannot run the washer, dryer, microwave, dishwasher, TV, and computer at the same time. If you try.... you burn a fuse and sit in the dark for hours.

Oh the houses here.... no storage. Greeks housing schematics do not include closets. The bathrooms do not have vanities, but pedestal sinks. The washing machine and dryer are in the bathrooms. The kitchens are tiny with little to no cabinet space. No pantry cabinet for food. No linen closets. No garage to store and stack all the junk. I have nowhere to hide my junk.

Our cinder block house..... is not exactly exact in its measurements. The walls are not straight. The windows do not fit exactly in their casing, which allows the rain to pour through the edges. The doors either slide easily or you have to slam them to close them. I am sure our neighbors would think we are mad at each other if not the same builder built theirs as well! The staircases are small and do not allow much to fit through them. The furniture was hoisted up to the balconies on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Several of the kitchen cabinets are blocked by the refrigerator. The stove temperature is in Celsius. Takes a little while to convert everything from the US food packages to Celsius temperatures. The dryer does not have an outside exhaust and one must dump the water reservoir after each load. The washer and dryer dials are in a foreign language.

Our cinder block house......The water.... oh the water. I take baths...lots of baths, hot water baths (at least 3 a day and yes I know that is not normal). The water is heated by the solar panels. But... in winter, if you want hot water... you must turn on the electric heater at least 1 hour before you need hot water. And if Harry takes a shower first....you must wait another hour before you have hot water again. I have been late to many Sunday school gatherings because Harry and I did not coordinate our hygiene schedule. Also, the drain in the bathroom will only allow a certain amount of water to go down. You cannot release all the bath water at one time. If you try the water comes back up the drain. You cannot release bath water while washing a load of clothes. If you try... you flood the bathroom. You cannot release bath water, wash clothes, and flush the toilet. If you try....YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW!!

While in winter it is hard to keep the water hot. In the summer months... it's hard to have cold water. It's so hot during the day the only times we have cold water are late at night and early in the morning.

My greatest grief with this cinder block house is the fact that, like most European plumbing, toilet paper is not allowed in the toilet. Uh, what? Are they crazy? .... Exactly how does that concept fair with no circulating central air? Stagnant air and poor hygiene? Um....Let's just say we only have a one year lease and I ship a lot of septic tank Rid-ex from the States. Please septic tank...make it until January 2009.

But... for all its faults....and I just listed a few, Greece is a Mediterranean island and the brochures call it paradise. I would call it paradise if it had a Target or Wal-mart Supercenter. (and flushable toilets)

Although this cinder block house may seem unbearable, non-functioning, insufferable at times, I know my God is here with us. I think He is probably laughing at the way in which we try to cope, but here just the same. I am sure when He sees me maneuvering the shaving cream top into the bath drain to slow the flow of water, He chuckles just a little. When it actually works and I am screaming down at the drain, "Hah you thought you'd get the best of me" then start dancing a little victory dance as I patiently watch the drain to await any upcoming water....He is most certainly full fledge laughing at me. (It's the small victories that mean so much!) We may feel abandoned and forgotten out here on the island, but He remembers us. He sees us struggling to make a home out of our innumerable difficulties. He hears our cries when the days seem too long to make it through. He knows our loneliness when the seclusion feels suffocating. He is able to create an oasis in the mess we call our home.

(walking distance view from house....our oasis)

Jesus replied to him,
“If anyone loves Me,
he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and
make Our home with him.

John 14:23 (NKJV)

When the days become overwhelming just remember He will come and dwell with you. As John 14:23 says in the NIV way, if you love Him you will obey His teaching and He will come and make a home with you. Just love Him. He is only a call, a longing, a prayer away. When the things of this life seem profoundly out of synch, there is someone who makes all things right again. Someone who takes life's garbage and flushes it down the toilet. The only One able to help no matter the circumstances, no matter the time, no matter the country or continent you reside on. I am so thankful tonight to be able to serve a God bigger than my habitat difficulties. Larger than any problem I have to date stumbled upon. And more encompassing than one I will ever encounter. Thank you God for being so gargantuan (BIG).

Greetings until next time,

Kristie