Obviously l don't write nearly as often now, and l guess that's partly due to the fact that Bologna has become more of a home and less of an adventure, though we still have many adventures, but there is a routine now in our lives. This is something we are aware of and do try to break the routine as often as possible.
That being said with Hunters calcio matches on the weekends, and the boys sport/ music nights during the week its hard to go off somewhere at a whim. We had Susie Batten and her three girls come and stay for a week, which was a great time, and the boys enjoyed being with them. They were great guests and made themselves busy, going to Florence one day and Venice another, they came to one of Hunters calcio matches, and we had some great meals out, which became rather loud with all the kids fighting for attention. They had recently finished a ski trip in Switerland and France, and had travelled to London and Paris. And like good friends, it seemed that we just started off from where we left off in Longwood, several years ago. The one funny event that happened to them, while travelling to Bologna from Milan, they got on the wrong train and ended up taking three hours to get here, l think it's funny as l have done it as well ,and one other friend, l still wonder how, and warn everyone to check the train number first.
Otherwise it has snowed for a few days in Feb, which was fun and made the city look lovely, until it became slush. I bravely drove the boys to school one day after the night of heavy snow, so heavy it broke many branches and knocked down many trees around, and in Bologna, causing havoc. It was drive the best you can, and just zig zag around the fallen branches. Nothing gets fixed quickly of course here. So l got the boys to school which they did not likle as they thought they would have a day off, and at the previous International school they would have. They arrived, and had three other kids in their class, 30 or so were missing.
The weather now in the beginning of March is warming up a bit, and tonight we go for our last ski at Cortina for the season. The weather is going to be good, and they just got a fall of snow yesterday. Jayne is even thinking of going for a gentle ski, which l said you just be bloody careful, we dont want to go through that again, but she wants to get her confidence back, especially if we ski again this xmas.
So some strange sights in Bologna, l was standing at the chemist waiting to be served, you take numbers here, and l noticed a blind women with her white stick, waiting at the counter, so l thought she might not have a ticket so l was about to go up and help her get one, when l noticed she picked up a tablet packet on the counter and started reading it, at a normal distance, go figure. I guess she gets along lines quicker without a ticket this way!!
Then Jen told me of another women in the line at the supermarket who tried pushing in front of her, she had an oxygen mask on, but Jen had noticed that it was not connected to any bottle, and there was no bottle near by, all part of getting the handicapped service.
Jaynes singing is coming along very well, she practices continuously and is doing a small concert in a palazzo near Bologna at the end of the month.
My new studio is perfect, so much space, l cant believe myself, though there is not plenty of natural light or air, it is not bad at all, it will be interesting to see what it is like in summer. Having two skylights helps a lot, but its the amount of room and floor space l have that helps the most.
Hunter just returned from a overnight school trip to Assisi which he enjoyed, he definetly has an interest in religion or the stories at least, he bought himself a small wooden cross necklace!
Ewan goes in a few weeks, and l dont think he will be buying a cross, unless its a hot cross bun.
Hunter has contiued becoming Italian as he now likes to go and get a crepe or icecream a few nights a week after dinner, he then likes to go for a walk around the town while he slowly finishes his treat. He still gets dressed to go out on these small adventures, and l must say both Jayne and l enjoy his discussions with him, as he says it relaxes him.
Ewan is becoming more and more of a computer games nut, he has a huge list of things he would like to buy re gaming and laptops. It is all a bit foriegn to me unfortunelty.
