Arrived Friday morning and today is Wednesday, only our second day of sunshine and now everything is emerald green or in flower. My super-Tuscan friends are getting me organized. I bought mattresses in Torrita di Siena and they were delivered on Monday. We got the smith to rip the rusted padlock off the ENEL box and he said I was trying to pay him too much. Went to IKEA in Firenze for lots of basics. And we are all having wonderful dinners together at our favorite restaurants: I Poggioli in Buonconvento, Daria's La Porta in Monticchiello and a new one, Il Pozzo in Chiusure.

Have only seen the geometra briefly. Too busy getting organized for my sister's visit. This is not really a vacation. It's living here. But what is really wonderful is that everything I am doing is for me and not for an employer.

I have to say that it is appalling to see my native country reeling out of control under that nut-case in the white house, but one of my friends here said Europeans have to understand that they created America when they sent all their poor and disenfranchised to the new world. Look what they're getting in return. Che peccato!!!

posted by Joanna @ 4/21/2004 11:27:00 AM 0 comments  

Counter-phobia has probably gotten me to go everywhere I've ever been. Last week I didn't know if I had a stomach virus, a heart condition, an ulcer, or a bad case of nerves. Anticipatory anxiety? Can't wait to get there and hate having to do all the things required to realize the arrival. Postponed packing until the last minute. I'm supposed to be packing as I write this. I'm half finished. Spoke to my amica e professoressa who will be in Milan next month and will come to the Val d'Orcia for a visit. We live in NYC, but make plans to meet in her native country.

I slept a great deal. During Sunday afternoon's nap, I kept being brought to the surface by birdsong. Finally, I got up to look for the source and in the tree on the terrace across from my windows was a brilliant red cardinal singing his heart out. I'd never seen one in the city before.

New York has been foggy this week with lots of soft rain and mist. The dogwood, peach, forsythia, and cherry are slowly coming into bloom. Just discovered that forsythia is in the olive family. I was so glad to get out of the office today, in spite of the list of chores waiting, packing and making the apartment half-assed presentable for my sister's stay here with her family before following me to Italy. Today's her birthday- well, yesterday in Australia. Eighteen hours until boarding Alitalia to Rome for me.

G & Z have found me a Sardinian fellow who wants work. I have plenty for him to do.

posted by Joanna @ 4/15/2004 01:55:00 AM 0 comments  

Nine days from now I'll be in the air, assuming I'm not on the "no fly" list. I woke up to news about this list on NPR this morning. They didn't say how many people were on it. Maybe they'll wait until I try to come back to vote.

I live in a lovely tree-lined neighborhood. It's multi-ethnic, lots of Arabic immigrants nearby. Tonight I can barely hear myself think for all the helicopters circling overhead. Gives me no sense of security- quite the opposite. Things seem a bit out of hand of late. I will be so glad to be gone. Does anyone get the new Air America radio broadcast on-line in Italy? I was a little put out that they bought their time in NYC from WBLI which has always been one of the few left wing, and only African American, talk radio stations in the area. There must be room for more left leaning stations. Are we to have only the one divided between two programming schedules with different audiences?

Ah, well. All of that soon behind me. I have to start creating a welcoming house and garden for multi-ethnic weekend parties above the Val d'Orcia. I do hope it's warm enough to camp out in my shell of a house while I seek out an insurance agent for the property, a notaio to make up an Italian will for the benefit of my heirs (my sister and nephew - la famiglia), the secret to getting the electricity turned on, and the geometra (who'd better be molto simpatico.)

posted by Joanna @ 4/07/2004 02:00:00 AM 0 comments