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Retracing our first taxi ride Ep4
This is the end of our first taxi ride. The giant plane trees and the fountain mini-park receded in the rearview mirror along with the memory they had awakened. I glanced to my right to glimpse Noula’s house. Decades of growth created a screen of glossy, green-leafed...

Retracing our first taxi ride Ep3
As we continued to retrace our first taxi ride, Makrohori’s Main Street receded in the rear-view mirror. The memory of Theo Pavlos and the 10-year-old me on the bus seeing a taxi with a partially exposed coffin remained with me as we made our way to Veria. The city is...

Easter traditions
As the Carnavali (Mardi Gras) festivities wind down on Kathara Deftera, (Clean Monday), Greeks and their households are immersed in the Lenten period. Attending church services and fasting are a constant for forty days leading into the much anticipated celebration of...

Retracing our first taxi ride Ep2
After one last look at the gate and the cemetery at Agia Paraskevi, our red jeep put a distance between us and that childhood memory. A somber cloud floated in the car, leaving each of us in our own thoughts as Lena drove closer to where we lived 65 yrs ago. “I can’t...

Retracing our first taxi ride-Ep1
Retracing our first taxi ride. I was still basking in the excitement and self-satisfaction of my memoir’s publication. In those first months, whenever I picked up a copy of Taxi to America, A Greek Orphan’s Adoption Journey, I ran my palm over the cover slowly, as if...

The power of resilience
What do I do when things aren’t going the way I expect them to go? I remind myself of the resilience I employed as a young child without even knowing that’s what I was doing. Like the time I entered the sixth-grade classroom, not speaking any English. I had arrived...

End of Year Reflection
As 2024 ends, reflecting on the past year comes naturally to most of us. As I look over my 2024 calendar, leaf through my gratitude journal, and flip through thousands of photographs on my iPad, I realize there are many moments and events that have not surfaced in my...

Life on the Mississippi
My husband and I have enjoyed several river cruises in Europe. In recent years we have discussed visiting parts of the United states we have not seen. Primarily the Midwest. A Mississippi River cruise was the answer. After spending two days exploring Saint Paul,...

Family Bonds
Fun and emotional activities filled my schedule in August. At the top of the list is my sister Lena’s visit. The cell parking lot at Logan International Airport, conveniently located across from the international arrivals terminal, was a display of excitement. The...

Reflecting on July
July flew by filled with a whirlwind of activities. Beginning with the 4th of July celebrations, golf competitions, Greek festivals, and volunteering. My husband and I continued our tradition of celebrating the Fourth of July by attending our town’s parade. We look...

2024 Greek Festivals
The 2024 Greek Festivals are in full swing. What is a Greek Festival like? The simple answer is-a Greek food fest with music, entertainment, games for children, retail booths of Greek apparel and gifts. The festivals are primarily held by the area Greek Orthodox...

Speaking at Gloucester’s Rotary Club
What is Rotary? i am quoting from from the Rotary International website: “Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our...

Book Clubs
According to the New York Times reports, about five million people belong to a book club in the United States. A book club is a group of people who share their love of reading. They read the same book on a timeline they have established and then meet to discuss...
Happy New Year
My best wishes for good health, peace of mind, joy, and happiness in the new year. I did not think I would have anything else to say about December, but I can’t help but write about this exciting time of year. I make it my goal to deck the halls and finish all the...

With Gratitude
As the end of 2023 approaches, I want to express my gratitude to my friends and relatives who have been on my taxi ride for the past ten months. Many of you joined my journey way before the release of Taxi to America and stayed for the ride. To my readers-Thank you...

2023 End of Year Holidays
I am picking up in October. Halloween is the buzz of the month, but? What’s with all the Christmas decorations? I know I’m not the only one who feels the rush of holidays. “Wait a minute, we still have Thanksgiving before Christmas” is a familiar comment. The trend of...

Thankful in November Part III of III
Giving thanks beyond Thanksgiving! The Saturday following Thanksgiving was another rewarding event for everyone involved. I am grateful to Elaine Zetes, Toni Baer, and the members of the North Shore Hellenic Women’s Guild (NSHWG) for inviting me to speak about my...

Thankful in November Part II
November 17 and 18 brought the 2023 Hellenic American Women’s Council (HAWC) conference to Boston. Building up to this weekend was exciting and a bit stressful for me. Exciting because I felt honored to be one of four speakers on the panel. Nervous because it was the...

Thankful in November!
Wow, it’s December 14 already! Before I go into the Christmas mode I will reflect back on November. It was such a busy, wonderful rewarding month for me as an author. November is associated with Thanksgiving but before I could...
Φθινοπωρινό πρόγραμμα για το Taxi to America
Το Taxi to America βρίσκεται σε ιδιωτική περιοδεία τον Σεπτέμβριο και τον Οκτώβριο. Ωστόσο, τον Νοέμβριο, εκτός από ιδιωτικές δεσμεύσεις, υπάρχουν τρεις εκδηλώσεις ανοιχτές στο κοινό. Θα ήθελα πολύ να σας δω σε μία ή περισσότερες από αυτές τις εκδηλώσεις. Το Σάββατο 4...