early siesta

My upstairs neighbour is snoring, loudly. In a strange kind of way I like it! She stays awake half the night then sleeps at her table during the day. But the snoring suggests she has given in and is taking a real nap.

Too much information, I hear you say? No, you asked me to write about my village life.

We are a family, in this village. Absolutely no privacy here!
.

tuesday morning

Not finished but nearly...fine tuning of features and skin tones still to come.

i preferred

the unfinished background.
Time to take a break and let this dry before I work on it further.

(Adding the hair made a difference, but I think I prefer the pale background against the face).

good painting light

I am making the most of the morning light. When winter comes I will lose a lot of my painting time.

an interesting thought

Love songs are always sad songs, aren't they?

That was the discussion after a pizza dinner across on the other side of the Liri valley tonight. Our trio managed to come up with some happy songs, but sad songs seem to be the language of love.

My favourite love song has to be from Fiddler on the Roof. No, I don't need a Matchmaker, matchmaker, although there is no shortage of volunteers here, but I can't think of love songs without thinking of Tevye's question to his wife Golde, "Do you Love me?" Listen to Tevye as he ponders the young romantic love of his daughter and his own arranged marriage. (You might have to let it play through once with the sound down, then replay it once it has loaded. Some of these take a while to download).

From STLyrics.com: Do You Love Me?

(Tevye)
Golde, I have decided to give Perchik permission to become engaged to our daughter, Hodel.

(Golde)
What??? He's poor! He has nothing, absolutely nothing!

(Tevye)
He's a good man, Golde.
I like him. And what's more important, Hodel likes him. Hodel loves him.
So what can we do?
It's a new world... A new world. Love. Golde...

Do you love me?

(Golde)
Do I what?

(Tevye)
Do you love me?

(Golde)
Do I love you?
With our daughters getting married
And this trouble in the town
You're upset, you're worn out
Go inside, go lie down!
Maybe it's indigestion

(Tevye)
Golde I'm asking you a question...

Do you love me?

(Golde)
You're a fool

(Tevye)
I know...

But do you love me?

(Golde)
Do I love you?
For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes
Cooked your meals, cleaned your house
Given you children, milked the cow
After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?

(Tevye)
Golde, The first time I met you
Was on our wedding day
I was scared

(Golde)
I was shy

(Tevye)
I was nervous

(Golde)
So was I

(Tevye)
But my father and my mother
Said we'd learn to love each other
And now I'm asking, Golde
Do you love me?

(Golde)
I'm your wife

(Tevye)
I know...
But do you love me?

(Golde)
Do I love him?
For twenty-five years I've lived with him
Fought with him, starved with him
Twenty-five years my bed is his
If that's not love, what is?

(Tevye)
Then you love me?

(Golde)
I suppose I do

(Tevye)
And I suppose I love you too

(Both)
It doesn't change a thing
But even so
After twenty-five years
It's nice to know

the gift

Every morning we have the gift of a new day. Zacchi says that I should spend the first part of it walking him. We have to sneak out, not waking our guest. It is so tempting to stay in bed that little bit longer.

But oh, the bounce in the step, the spring in the dog... and soon he imparts that to me. The air is fresh, not too hot, the view always wonderful. How could we have considered staying in bed? The day is for living.

Yes Zacchi, you were right. In fact, you have always been a wise little dog.
.

goodbye Paul

Paul Newman died yesterday. One of the most powerful movies I saw as a teenager was "Cool Hand Luke". I am not a movie goer, but that one made a real impression. Don't read the reference if you don't like sad stories. I choose to remember the film as being a commentary on human dignity. I guess that's my way of coping with things too awful to remember.

Thank you Paul. I was 15 or 16 when I became a fan. You really were a star.