finiculi finicula...

At ten past one tomorrow morning (that is, in about two hours) I will be collecting a friend from the station.  Tomorrow morning at 10 to 8 I will be heading back to the station with another friend.  I need a finicular between casa mia and la stazione.

I am relocating upstairs again, as it is now cool enough to sleep in my favourite bed where no visitors are allowed.  As I cleaned out the room I am vacating in preparation for the new visitor I discovered...

wait for it...

in the bedside table drawer is

ANOTHER chocolate stash!

It almost makes you want to sing

It's no wonder people have suggested I have lost some weight! I've gone off wine and I can't remember where I hide the chocolate!

However, there's plenty of time, with a cuppa, before that train arrives, to devour a few calories!

Today I am grateful for lost things found. 

bits 'n' bobs

Little turtle number two arrived six days after her brother.  I wonder if number three will hatch too?  Why is it that you can tell the sex of a tiny tiny turtle as soon as it is born, but kittens can keep it a secret for at least six weeks?

Tiny mosquitoes are far more evil and disruptive to sleep than big noisy ones.

The weather is glorious, my kind of temperature! Sleeveless, sandals, but cool enough for a blanket at night and shoes occasionally. The rain has already transformed the brown hills.

Please excuse any long silences on the blog, I have much to do in the next couple of weeks, visitors and painting.  I am going to have to locate the off button on the computer more often.

Last night I worked on three more fig paintings, but purely as exercises, they wont be masterpieces!

Isn't it just as well we don't know what is around the corner for us? The secret is to approach that corner with optimism rather than fear.

This morning my 14 year old student told me that I am too optimistic, and a little pessimism and cynicism would serve me better.  He is obviously not a foreigner living in this contradictory land - optimism is essential for survival!

Today I am grateful for students of all shapes, sizes and temperaments.

bluebirds fly

After our long hot summer we have been treated to a week of rainbows.  This one was last week, photograph taken from the valley looking back to Castello and Monte Asprano.

Rainbows to me represent change.  Somewhere, over the rainbow? And yes, I do own some red shoes, somewhere, and a scruffy little dog :-)

A complete rainbow like this is a tying up of loose ends, a sign that something is complete.  I like this.  It helps me to clarify quite a few things, and it fits with some of the things that have been happening in my life.  I stopped well clear of the intersection, so I am not at a crossroad.  I have already moved on.

I have, a little whimsically, been trying to work out some meaning for the roadside marker which just happens to be in the middle of the picture.  I like metaphor, and this will have meaning if I just give it time.  Does the "pothole" in front of the marker also have meaning?

Today I am grateful for interesting new friendships. 

woohoo!

I moved something in my "pantry" and there, neatly tucked in with cooking ingredients, was the stash of chocolate I couldn't find some time ago.

I knew I hadn't eaten it, Jackerd!   Ye of little faith...

Today I am grateful for ethical products. 

new to the world and to me

I had a few nights away, and in my ensuite was a strange item ignored by the cleaner and obviously forgotten when I was allotted my room.  I guessed that the slightly irregular and rough coated objects on coarse sand with pen markings on them were eggs, but I didn't know what type, until, on the third morning, one had flipped over and something had begun its great escape.

I had politely not mentioned my strange nocturnal company to my forgetful friend previously, but I thought I should now.

A phonecall to a young boy gave me the instructions... get those squeezy things for eyebrows and break the shell into little pieces.  

OK, guess what was not in my hand bag?  So I did this much with my longish fingernails.  

And when I returned a few hours later, I found this little rascal quite animated and looking for mum and dad.  

I left him where he was to await expert help, but I did take out some celebratory lettuce and shared the good news with ma and pa...each one at least the size of my fist or more.

Today I am grateful for new experiences.

luckily the air is fresh and free

I am waiting for a student to arrive, and I think he has forgotten it is Friday or forgotten to let me know that he isn't coming.  Yesterday I had to cancel a painting lesson because I was late back from Rome airport.  Here's hoping I can teach one of them tomorrow as it has been a lean week and other commitments have meant no painting either.

Last week I had a conversation about how, to my Italian friends, I seemed to "live on air".  On a weekly basis I am very frugal, and I have chosen this life style.  (I could always return to NZ and look for "a real job"). I don't think living frugally hurts me, and hopefully the planet is that tiny bit better for it.  But when I do splash out, it is not cheap.  Air tickets and dentist bills can't really be negotiated too much, and I don't think I can trade paintings for dentistry... not yet, anyway!

But, as they say, luckily the air is free, and today it is even a fresh offering, and there is plenty of food in the cupboards.  If the weather keeps cooling off I might even be inspired to cook a meal some day soon!

This week I have been reviewing my financial situation, and wondering what is a realistic budget for 2013.  Balancing NZ and Italian needs takes some careful fine tuning. Yesterday I spoke with someone about a commission I had previously had to turn down when my wrist was too bad.  I hope she gets back to me.  Later today I have to find the courage to investigate another fresco on a ceiling; my love of a challenge has been somewhat dampened by the realities of working at uncomfortable angles up in the heat on scaffolding.  I have left that potential client dangling for too long, so I must at least go and look at the job.

This morning I read a press release (and prologue) for a book written by an American lawyer who traded her busy life to seek the Italian dream.  She got as far as picking grapes for long, painful hours as she struggled to survive.  I guess I am lucky that my day jobs bring me creative satisfaction! Look out for At Least You're in Tuscany being released soon by Gemelli Press. It looks as though it will be delightful :-)

Enough computer, I have some work to do!

Today I am grateful for fresh air and watery sunshine. 

it occurred to me

It occurred to me as I tipped the contents of my handbag out onto my bed that you can read a lot into the contents of a woman's hand bag.

Curious?  I am sure you wont guess anything "right", but this is what was in there:

One very large torch
Two cans of sardines
One camera in a Chinese bag
Two cell phones
Two umbrellas
One Scottish wallet
Two packs of tissues
Several business cards
One pen
Insect repellent
One pair of knickers
Deodorant
Hand sanitizer
20 Euros "lost" in the depths
One hair tie
Sunglasses
Pencil
Notebook
Sticking plaster.

It's no wonder it was getting heavy.  Also no wonder that I couldn't find my lipstick or toothbrush this morning.

Today I am grateful for long arms.