Purple Alliums in Bloom!

I had an interesting talk with my father in law this weekend. We drove by a huge swath of overgrown grass by some railroad tracks in Vancouver, and he sighed. He said that back in the old country, droughts brought on great struggles. Goats had to be herded to areas less affected by drought, and farmers had to pay land-owners for the "use" of their grass for feeding the animals.

He always found it funny that here in our rainy Spring seasons, we grow and mow our lawns, put the clippings into plastic bags, and dump them in the landfill... I think home gardeners everywhere can make a dent into this strange modern way of living with every bit of waste that gets composted, and every crop that is harvested.

For myself, I usually tend to go with veggies instead of flowers, but these hardy allium bulbs always make an appearance in my garden.

Back in the Autumn, I lined up the bulbs to create a little border. Check out this great splash of colour from my front yard alliums! It is hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago, they were waiting to burst forth.

I'm so relieved to report that I have transplanted most of my tomato plants now, after such a wet and cold month of May. I have a good combination this year of heirlooms and heavy-producing hybrids in the garden and can't wait to see how everything grows.
Better to be harvesting juicy fresh tomatoes instead of having a bit more grass to mow, right? =)

Behind the Cupboards

To close out the chapter on my trip to Greece, let's get to what we found behind the cupboards, in the pantry, and stowed away in trunks. One of my first places to explore was an old pantry. See that 80s green Tupperware jelly ring mold? Classic.


Also peering out at the bottom was a nice stack of colourful Tupperware containers, they were all in great shape with really nice colour, although the photos didn't turn out too well.


Of course there was some Pyrex too, although in the form of a perfect condition, complete set of Old Orchard store and serve casseroles, boo hoo!


There was also a red restaurant-ware piece which nicely displayed the tasty grapes and other local produce.


I really liked these nice drinking glasses and plates, and got a lot of use out of them.

This ouzo liqueur bottle is shaped like a Greek statue.

I also liked this dusty old Vaseline with the metal lid. They don't make 'em like they used to.


We came across some lovely fabrics as well, some made with beautiful handiwork.



Well, being back in the swing of things at work sure helps me plant my feet back on solid ground at home! It was a great trip full of memories and I can't wait to go back and bring that KitchenAid mixer home... Until next time, Greece!

Frozen in Time

We stayed at this heritage home in Mytilini, the capital city of the island Lesvos in Greece. It belongs to my husband's family who made this house a home from 1984-1989. I learned that there are several families who emigrated to Canada, then missed home and brought their children back to the old country. Some families realized that their "new" life was in fact better, and made a more permanent move to Canada.


This has meant that some family homes in Greece are stocked with "vintage" North American goods from the 70s and 80s. Because the homes remain in the family but are not necessarily occupied full time, much of the kitchen wares and textiles are preserved in great shape, and not thrown out and replaced.




I love the attention to detail that you see in older homes. Even the mouldings around a door are something to stare at in appreciation of the work that was put into it.


Speaking of work, my father in law spent countless hours in the 1980s restoring the interior of this house. He tells me that the woodwork on the staircases and interior doors were painted over and over like an old boat. He used a torch and scraped all the paint off by hand to recreate and salvage the natural beauty of the house's staircases, banisters, and interior window/door frames.


We stayed at the house for about two weeks, admiring the details and using appliances from the 80s. The North American washing machine for instance, had a mailing address for any customer service enquiries to the General Electric company - these days we'd pick up the phone toll free or just email!


It was a great experience to live like a local in a place that felt like home and was full of surprises and delights behind the cupboards, in the attic, and in the travel trunks. The view outside our windows of the orange and lemon trees out back is something I won't soon forget.

Thanks everyone for indulging me in my vacation report - next post will take a look at what I found behind the cupboards!

It's All Greek to Me!

Hello Readers, I'm back refreshed from a great trip to Greece! I've missed home, and of course, blogging and visiting everyone's websites. We have lots to catch up on.


There are certainly beautiful sights in Greece - from the clear blue waters to the bustling markets, my trip was like a feast for the eyes. There were also vintage treats in old kitchens, with colourful pieces like Tupperware and Pyrex!


These shots of the Aegean are taken on the island of Santorini, formed by volcanic activity. It is amazing to see the villas, hotels, restaurants, and pathways carved into the cliffsides.

The beautiful streets were lined with vibrant flowers, and the markets bustled with fresh fish and produce.



There were modern features to be seen at the HeliExpo in Thessaloniki, like this solar tree:


And not so modern features at the White Tower!


Most of our time was spent on the island of Lesvos where we stayed at a heritage house with a vintage kitchen full of beautiful pieces and lovely textiles. More on those in an upcoming post!


Goodnight for now!