We woke up this morning to -5 degrees F and 7" of snow on the ground. Lovely. No really, beautiful ...but COLD! I had high hopes of breaking out the skiis but opted instead to stay inside and make chicken soup. Tomorrow will be a ski day. When we lived in Crete, a Greek neighbor …
Continue reading THE BEST (no kidding) Chicken Soup – Greek style
(Revised post from July 2, 2015) The Greeks have mastered the art of SLOW. You see it everywhere. No one seems to be in a rush --- well, except when they speak or drive. But seriously, a typical meal can last up to three or four hours, Greek Orthodox church starts early in the morning …
Imagine yourself taking a much-needed break away from the busyness and stress that everyday life dishes out. Not a break in the sense of a destination or vacation. Just a few moments or hours where you can relish in the moment of well-being and calmness. It doesn’t have to be at an expensive spa or …
As the New Year knocks at the door of this world, I'm contemplating about the past holiday season. Unless you've been living in a Norman Rockwell painting, there is no “perfect Christmas.” Most of us have holiday stories from the hilarious to the harrowing, and every year, more than often, the expectations we have for …
I love road trips. Almost all of our traveling these days starts with an airplane ride and all the preliminary hassle and hustle that goes along with it. But road trips are a peek back into the past for me. Family vacations always started in the car. Airplane travel was for the wealthy. But we …
Spending time in Europe as a tourist is not cheap. When we lived in Crete, we took advantage of our location to travel all over Europe, and between budget airlines like Ryan Air and Airbnb in small towns we were able to keep expenses low. But today, even with the great airfare we scored from …
(*Update: Book release date April 30, 2019) Writing a book is like birthing a baby. Except the labor has been over two years long. There were moments I literally screamed, "I CAN'T DO THIS!" but it was there inside me demanding to be born. And I knew that the labor would produce a happy ending. …
I’ll come right out and say it…this is the hardest time of year to write a blog post about slowing down. I’ve already failed miserably at not “shoulding” on myself. I should send out Christmas cards. I should bake all those cookies. I should have my shopping done. I should have the tree decorated by …
I walked into our local Home Depot yesterday and was immediately accosted by a forest of pre-lit Christmas trees and animated Santa figures. For a fleeting moment I panicked thinking , "Wow! I haven't finished (or even started ) my Christmas shopping." I felt strangely off balance, like I'd been whisked ahead into December. For …
Gazing out of the clouded airplane window, I absentmindedly take note of the expansive blue beneath me, We are flying over the Mediterranean Sea in route to the island of Crete. A German voice over the intercom jolts me out of my daydreaming and soon the english translation follows. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are beginning …
Melanie A Crane 