Tagged by Cassandra.........

aka Jacob Wrestling, previously living under the name of Sanders (come on - keep up !) to give five reasons why my life is grand and I am happy with my lot.

Initially I was concerned that I would find it quite hard to think of 5 things but then I realised I would be a singularly crabby and ungrateful individual if that were the case (and that truth must never be made public !) So...

1. There is a man who loves me for who I am, and has forgiven me many, many things

2. My children, who, contrary to all my best efforts, have turned into lovely people

3. Books, each one is a new adventure waiting to be started.

4. My friends, past and present, real and through the ether, who have all given me a different take on life, made me laugh, supported me and generally made my world a better place.

5. Sunshine through a window, a breeze billowing the curtains and a bed made up with white cotton bedding - and outside the window ? Italy.

Now, I do know that I am meant to tag others, so they too can go "me! me!me!" but all those I would catch are already divulging there innermostness, so, sorry, the road stops here.

Quiz......

Am I .............

Auditioning to be a carabinieri ?

Indicating I need a further 5 euro ?

Stating the closing time of the Duomo ? - well even God has to get home sometime

Requesting, oh so politely, that a photograph is not taken of me ? (just in case I look sulky)

As you can see, the paparazzi got me on a bad day !

Real life is a bugger.....

So, long time since last post, but life has been rather fine. Florence was amazing, art, food, wine, shoes, bags, Italian men - oh come on ......... cheesy yes, but so good for the ego. I didn't disgrace myself by sobbing in the Uffizi (caused something of a stir by blubbing in the Prado in front of a Durer some years ago) although there was a slight footstamp as a Uccello was "in restaurio" and the view from my room window ? Now I'm not Helena/Lucy but I reckon this is ok ? Yup, the bestest baggery in the world !

I was also rather pleased with how my Italian seemed to be going, even if I wasn't sure about how to say things (bastard daughter of Miles Kington for those of you who remember Franglais) I understood most of the conversations I had, or rather, were had with me. A small triumph for a woman with few linguistic skills, and fascinating how helpful 1 year of Latin in 1970 could be !

The shopping was kept firmly in check - sadly, but of necessity. Alessandra in Furla worked very hard, by reminding me that altho I already had a cream bag, the one I was lusting after but denying myself, was "chalk", therefore not cream, and so a totally acceptable expenditure in a well ordered wardrobe. Ladies, or metrosexuals, I demand a round of applause.

What else ? Well, on my first evening, on my way to supper I saw a beautiful hat...... mentally noted but then ....never found again. Am I the person who doesn't have the magical adventure ? was it waiting for someone else ? The shop disappeared ! I trailed around every jitty, alley, ginnel, cut, lane, calle, via (suspect we have enough now - ed) and never found it. I began to feel as if I was auditioning for "The Ship that Flew" or an E.Nesbit story.

Now, back in real life, catching up with friends and blogs, plotting my next escape and repairing the disasters wrought in my absence, which include......... kittens crapping in the laundry basket, daughter cutting her own hair and signing up for a major tattoo ( should I be cool and hope the fact she is needle phobic will change her mind or just rant like any sensible mother ? ) and the dog flinging himself through the window at the naughty, dangerous windowcleaners.

Life's a bugger isn't it ? - but remember, it is usually better than the alternative

A special for Jaywalker

Florence is packed with various tortoises, turtles and similar testudines doing useful things, so when I should have been thinking of bags or stroking shoes I found myself in an outpost of Belgium - who'd have thought ?

You see........

a luscious jewel

and when I rule the world it will be mine, all mine, mwahahahaha !!
(Sorry, just a bit overexcited)

Relief and anticipation

Another sequence of days full of not a lot........ although I did run away, as threatened, at the beginning of the week to Stratford where I saw Antony Sher in "The Tempest", an interesting production would be the most charitable I can manage. Not sure Shakespeare envisaged the political problems of South Africa as a working analogy, it would probably help if I had an ear for accents or they had gone for surtitles too. OK I am a Philistine. Then I went and stroked things at Bicester, but kept my card in my bag - yay for me and on to Oxford where I had fantasies about quads, groves of academe and ivory towers, so actually it was a perfect couple of days, culture and Mammon. (Although no naked cowboys)

One of the positive points of being a bit older is that often ones children are too. Having read and appreciated the slightly "eyes on stalks/stir crazy" combo that half term engenders amongst bloggers I was quite relieved that mine are past the stage of needing entertaining, now they just need financing ! Girlchild spent the week in London (advanced crayoning aka geography is obviously not a strong point for her - London actually means St Albans, Rochester and Brighton)visiting friends and helping with the balance of payments, and has come back rapturising about the joys of YHA. She stayed in a new hostel in Central London, and if she is to be believed it was better than home ! (Being a jaded teenager myself once, I do remember that anywhere is) The boy meanwhile plods along at Hull, all agog for the game of the year due out on the 4th of March - no doubt there are others that will be in the running for that title but atm I am on standby to get something from somewhere - sorry boy, wasn't listening........

Tomorrow, courtesy Ryanair, "no you can't take luggage, check in, weigh more than....... or even eat" without paying subsidies I am off to Florence (via Pisa) to pay due tribute to the artistic greats and practice Italian. I have advance booked my ticket for the Uffizi, which means of course there will be no queues anywhere, so it will have been an exercise in futility, but actually I don't care, it means I will have more time to eat cakes on behalf of Katyboo (Thank you for the excuse !)

I will also be going to the Bargello to say hello to David by Donatello - so much nicer than Michelangelos, and so naughty - look closely at the picture at the top, admire the young mans enigmatic smile and observe the feather on Goliaths headdress tracing its way up his thigh - provocative, oh I think so . Then there is the obligatory sensory overload in the Medici Palace chapel by Gozzoli. If my jewellery case isn't going to be full of luscious bling (which I promise you, it never will be) at least I can go and stand in this tiny room and pretend that I am actually in a jewel box.

There will, of course, be the necessary and expected trips to bars, trattoria and gelateria, but I deliberately didn't bother mentioning them because it would be unfair, and besides you know I am temperate if not Puritanical, so will only do it for research purposes............. (excuse me while I just go and file my nose, it seems to have grown somewhat)