Work begins

The New councils took over on January 1st and began work immediately - even though it was a weekend. Anyone passing by the various town halls will have seen the car parks ( and roads) full as the employees arrived for work. The first few days, weeks and months will be difficult as the new"Kallikratis" laws take effect. Many current council workers still don't know whether or not they will still have a job as the re organisation takes place. Jobs for life are no more and one of the important issues to be confronted is to make sure that jobs are filled by the right people rather than just because they are family and friends.
 Yesterday I went to visit an elderly man in the next village. I remember him as  always busy in the fields, tending his olive groves and vineyard, visiting the kafenion on his three wheeler ( I wonder if the writer of "The Good Life"  visited Crete??)  Now he is a shadow of his former self, not only through age but he is suffering from cancer of the jaw and is unable to eat and he is ravaged by the radiation therapy. He still cooks a full meal for himself although he can only eat the gravy by dipping bread into it. He still enjoys listening to traditional music and very much likes a chat.
 I see that the actor Pete Postlethwaite has died today at the age of 64 - he will be sorely missed.